Mississippi Receives Partial Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Gustav
From: MEMA News Release    Filed 9/23/08 GCN

Pearl – Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack announced today that Mississippi has received a partial major disaster declaration for Hurricane Gustav.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency notified MEMA this afternoon that 20 counties in the state are eligible for the Public Assistance program.

Those counties are: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Forrest, Franklin, George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Pike, Stone, Walthall and Wilkinson. 

“We are pleased that we did receive our request for Public Assistance for these 20 counties,” said MEMA Director Mike Womack. “We are also working with Washington County to be able to add them to the declaration for Public Assistance.”

The Public Assistance program allows governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to be reimbursed for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

The request for three counties, Hancock, Harrison and Washington, to receive the Individual Assistance program is still under consideration by FEMA. That program, if granted, will allow disaster victims to apply for federal grants to help repair or replace their damaged home, or grants to help with other needs as a result of the disaster.