The deadline to apply for federal aid is soon approaching for Mississippians impacted by January’s historic ice storm.
Winter Storm Fern devastated much of Mississippi from Jan. 23-27, prompting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make funding available to those impacted by the state’s worst winter weather event in more than three decades. But the window for those affected by the storm to apply for aid will end on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, more than 84,000 Mississippians have registered for assistance. Through FEMA’s individual assistance program, which was opened to those in the 36 hardest-hit counties, more than $126 million has already been distributed to eligible storm survivors.
Federal officials say the highest number of registrations have come from the following counties: Panola (5,577), Washington County (5,373), and DeSoto (5,228).
All 82 Mississippi counties were approved for some level of public assistance following the ice storm. To date, more than $37 million has been pledged to local governments with an estimated $223 million in additional projects currently moving through the application and review process.
To assist local governments with the upfront costs of cleanup and debris removal, the state legislature unanimously approved a revolving loan program that allows counties and municipalities to access funding while awaiting federal reimbursement. As of Tuesday, 29 loans totaling nearly $40 million have been issued through the program.
In addition to the FEMA aid, the U.S. Small Business Administration reminds eligible businesses, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters in Mississippi of its Wednesday deadline to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset losses from physical damage caused by the storm.
Winter Storm Fern impacted over half of Mississippi, destroying trees and power lines, leaving roughly 180,000 customers without power at its peak, and killing 29. As of late February, more than 12,000 insurance claims had been filed, totaling over $107 million, according to the Mississippi Insurance Department.