Federal assistance extended to two Mississippi counties affected by storms

PEARL, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) announced FEMA Individual Assistance has been extended to residents in Montgomery and Panola counties after the March 24 tornadoes.

The assistance is available for residents in Carroll, Humphreys and Sharkey counties. Residents can register for assistance by calling 800-621-3362 or going to disasterassistance.gov.

FEMA Mobile Registration Centers were opened to assist residents.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are going door-to-door to help residents with FEMA applications. Residents are strongly advised not to disclose any personally identifiable information to anyone unless they are wearing FEMA attire and have their federal photo identification badge.

Residents in Montgomery and Panola counties can now also apply for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Residents in Carroll, Humphreys and Sharkey counties are also eligible. Residents can apply on the SBA’s website under declaration #17836. Residents can also call 800-659-2955.

The SBA has opened a Portable Loan Outreach Center at South Delta High School at 303 Parkway Street in Rolling Fork. It will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Those who are out of work due to the recent tornadoes can apply for Unemployment Insurance Assistance through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) online or by calling 601-493-9428. Residents can also apply in-person at any WIN Job Center, at 107 South Hayden Street in Belzoni or at 272 Academy Drive in Rolling Fork.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households in Holmes, Montgomery, Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll and Monroe counties that suffered food loss because of the tornadoes have until Monday, April 24 to request replacement benefits. SNAP households in all other counties impacted by weekend storms have ten days to submit a SNAP replacement application. Applicants will be required to document a power outage lasting over four hours.

Residents must request a replacement at their local Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS). Households can also submit the replacement request using mail, email or the upload feature on the MDHS website. The Household Statement of Food Loss Due to Household Disaster, MDHS-EA-508 is available on the MDHS website. For assistance completing the SNAP replacement application, contact the Economic Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-948-3050.

The Mississippi Division of Medicaid has enacted its state of emergency to allow patients impacted by the storm to receive early refills and additional prescriptions above the monthly limit. Pharmacy providers should follow the billing guidelines found online.

The Department of Mental Health reports that the Region 6 Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) is responding to the community to bring supplies and meet mental health needs. Those specialists are available to provide services in the community for anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The DMH Helpline is also available for information and referral services and can be reached at 1-877-210-8513.

Hot showers and restrooms are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Drop-off laundry services are available. Drop-off is 9:00 a.m. and pick up is 1:00 p.m. the next day at the following locations: