MEMA opens disaster recovery help for Quitman County winter storm survivors

Quitman County residents still dealing with January’s ice storm were able to start getting face-to-face disaster help at noon Monday, April 27, as the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency opened six Disaster Recovery Centers and seven Disaster Survivor Assistance sites for survivors across the state.

For many families in Marks, Lambert, Crowder and Falcon, the most practical in-person stop was the recovery center in Batesville, in neighboring Panola County. The survivor-assistance sites were expected to stay open for about a week at each location, while the recovery centers could remain open longer depending on demand and foot traffic.

The centers and mobile assistance sites were set up to help people register with FEMA, learn which assistance programs they may qualify for and get referrals to other recovery resources. That matters in Quitman County, where winter-storm damage has lingered long after the January 23 to 27 severe ice event passed through the Delta.

Quitman County is among the 36 counties, along with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, approved for Individual Assistance, which can include grants for home repairs and low-interest loans for uninsured losses. Federal disaster aid for the storm, designated DR-4899-MS, was approved February 6 after Governor Tate Reeves requested an expedited major disaster declaration on February 3 and joint damage assessments began January 29.

MEMA’s early storm updates showed how severe the emergency became across Mississippi. One report put the number of customers without power at about 153,000, while another said ice was still affecting roads and bridges in 23 counties. Later updates recorded 10 statewide deaths and 14 injuries, along with damage to 208 homes, five businesses and seven farms, plus major road damage and bridge losses. A subsequent update raised the death toll to 14.

The recovery work has not been limited to residents. On April 28, MEMA also launched a Local Government Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program for Winter Storm Fern, giving eligible local governments a way to manage cash flow while waiting for FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement.

Federal and state officials have said the recovery footprint stretched well beyond the counties hosting help centers. FEMA said federal disaster assistance was available in Mississippi for the January storm, with Brett H. Howard named Federal Coordinating Officer, and MEMA said 500 National Guard soldiers were deployed during the response. For Quitman County families still sorting out storm losses, the message was simple: the help was open, the nearest desk was in Batesville, and the recovery was still moving months after the ice came down.