U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) was joined by members of the Mississippi congressional delegation on Tuesday in sending a letter to President Barack Obama expressing support for a federal disaster designation following December’s severe storms.
Mississippi would be eligible for federal recovery resources following a federal disaster designation as it recovers from tornado, flood and severe storm damage that occurred on Dec. 23-28.
The letter was issued prior to President Obama’s aid approval on Monday. In addition to Wicker, the letter was also signed by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and U.S. Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Gregg Harper (R-MS), Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Trent Kelly (R-MS).
“We have been encouraged by the efforts of FEMA to deploy rapidly to Mississippi to assist state and local officials in estimating the severity of the initial damage caused by a series of severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding across our state,” the letter said. “Citizens have lost loved ones, homes, and their livelihoods. Much of this destruction has occurred in parts of our state that have been particularly affected by our nation’s current economic situation. Many of these counties also have poverty levels that are more than double the national average.
“We stand ready to face this new challenge by supporting the local communities, the state, and federal agencies as we work together to rebuild and renew areas destroyed by this major winter storm system.”
The congressional delegation’s members also consulted with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and local officials in assessing storm damage and recovery efforts.