Officials plan to request federal help
By Staff
from staff and wire reports
April 14, 2003
State emergency management officials plan to recommend today that Gov. Ronnie Musgrove request federal help for victims of severe storms that struck parts of Mississippi last week.
The request will come a week after torrential rains April 6 and 7 struck Central Mississippi from the Jackson metropolitan area east to the Meridian-Lauderdale County area.
Tornadoes touched down in Issaquena County, Lincoln County and the city of Jackson. Another tornado struck the northwest portion of Lauderdale County, causing some damage in the Martin-Collinsville area.
In Meridian and Lauderdale County, strong rains, high winds and hail flooded streets and sent the city's drainage canals out of their banks and into some homes and residents' yards.
Storm runoff headed south, swelling the Chickasawhay River, sending it to record heights in Clarke County, forcing it out of its banks and leaving residents scurrying for shelter.
Clarence Butler, director of the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency, said federal officials toured the county on Saturday and took notes about damaged homes and businesses.
Butler said the county had a lot of minimal damage. When compared to the number of homes in the county, he said, the overall percentage of damage was relatively low.
State Insurance Commissioner George Dale said last week's storms caused at least $20 million worth of damage, a figure much higher than initially anticipated and one that is expected to go up.
MEMA is also working with local, state and federal officials to determine the extent of damage to public property and infrastructure.
The assessments will be used to confirm the initial damage to roads, bridges, public buildings and some private, nonprofit entities. The preliminary damage assessments will determine if the state meets the criteria for federal assistance.
Musgrove declared a state of emergency after inspecting some of the areas hit by storms. The state of emergency focused on Grenada, Hinds, Lauderdale, Lincoln, Madison, Rankin, Warren and Yazoo counties.
