Help is available for residents affected by the March tornado outbreak in Pike and Walthall counties, and Pike County supervisors began discussing plans for storm debris removal now that the federal government has agreed to reimburse the estimated $1.7 million expense.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency opened 10 disaster recovery centers throughout the state on Monday for residents to apply for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration. The help can come in the form of grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-interest loans to cover uninsured losses, MEMA officials said.
Pike County’s disaster recovery center is located at Silver Creek Baptist Church, 8017 Silver Drive, in the hard-hit Progress community.
Walthall County’s disaster recovery center is located at the county emergency operations center at 908 Amory Drive in Tylertown.
Both are opening at noon Monday and will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday for the next two weeks. Pike County’s center will close at 5 p.m. daily next week.
Residents aplying for assistance at the disaster recovery centers should bring:
• A description of the damage.
• Their address at the time of the disaster.
• Their Social Security number.
• Contact information.
• If insured, a policy number, agent or company.
• Their annual household income.
• Bank account information for direct deposit.
In addition to the assistance offered to affected residents, businesses and nonprofits, local governments can apply for help through FEMA to remove storm debris. Pike County Civil Defense Director Tina Reed told county supervisors Monday that she and County Administrator Rochelle Collins were going to a meeting in Bassfield on Tuesday to get more information on that, and supervisors tabled action on debris removal in the meantime.
The county is seeking $1.7 million in disaster recovery funds, Reed said.
“If we do it now and get it wrong, you’re going to be upset with us,” Supervisor Justin Lofton told audience members in support of the decision to delay a vote.
“It’ll cause a millage increase in the next budget that we want to avoid,” Supervisor Robert Accardo said.
Supervisors said debris should be moved to county roads because the county’s debris removal contractor, Land Company and Development, can’t work along state highways.
However, company spokesperson Paige Alexander told the board that she’s also doing work in Walthall County, which has a memorandum of understanding in place with the Mississippi Department of Transportation allowing for debris removal along state highways, and Pike County supervisors are considering taking the same steps at their June 15 meeting.
“Our intention is to get this thing moving as quickly as possible,” Accardo said. “We want our people to get some relief. They’ve been under this for too long.”
