A week and a half after parts of Mississippi were devastated by Winter Storm Fern, the state Senate is stepping in to try to provide more monetary relief.
Republicans and Democrats voted unanimously, 52-0, on Senate Bill 2924 on Tuesday. The bill would allocate $20 million to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency “for the purposes of defraying expenses related to the state obligations for disaster response and recovery, including the severe weather event beginning on January 24, 2026,” per its text.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann issued a statement afterward, commending his chamber for quickly approving funds needed in areas of north Mississippi and the Delta. Fern is believed to have caused at least hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, though MEMA has not yet released an official estimate.
“This is a first step in providing further assistance. The damage is costly, and Mississippians should not have to wait for essential help. As recovery continues, we must do everything possible to help our communities rebuild stronger,” Hosemann said.
Fern is now part of history as the worst winter storm to hit Mississippi in more than three decades, killing at least 25 people, and the recovery process is expected to be lengthy. Response efforts remain underway with over 38,000 residents and businesses without power as of Tuesday afternoon. At points, the outage number was around 180,000.
FEMA has sent $3.75 million in “rapid emergency funding” for response efforts, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirming Monday afternoon that the agency will work quickly to approve disaster reimbursements and provide financial aid to residents and businesses once full damage reports are submitted by the state.
“We are deeply grateful to our emergency management directors, utility crews, National Guard soldiers, first responders, medical workers, local elected officials, volunteers, and countless others for their tireless service to Mississippians during this devastation,” Hosemann continued.
In order for the Senate’s appropriation of emergency funds to make it to MEMA, the House will have to sign off on the bill as well.