PEARL, Mississippi (WGNO) – President Donald Trump has yet to respond to an official request for a Federal Disaster Declaration sent by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on January 23.
Bryant sent the request in the wake of severe storms and tornadoes that ripped across eight Mississippi counties between January 21 and January 22, according to a press release by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
“The request is for Individual Assistance to help affected residents in Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale and Perry counties,” according to the release. “The request is still pending approval.”
On January 21, Bryant declared a State of Emergency and signed an executive order to authorize use of the National Guard.
More than 1,200 homes were damaged as a result of the severe weather, with 549 homes destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, according to MEMA.
Four people were killed and 56 were injured in Forrest County during the storms, with almost 500 homes destroyed and more than 600 homes sustaining some damage.
Roads were damaged in Franklin, Lamar, and Wilkinson Counties, while more injuries were reported in Lauderdale and Perry Counties.
The National Weather Service in Jackson confirmed an EF-3 tornado struck portions of Lamar and Forrest Counties, and an EF-2 touched town in Lauderdale County, according to MEMA.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services and the American Red Cross teamed up in the wake of the severe weather to shelter 361 people, while other groups from the Salvation Army to the Mississippi National Guard have all been helping in recovery work.
Follow the link below in the MEMA Facebook post to find out how you can volunteer and donate to storm victims.