JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) announced that he is requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from President Donald Trump for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance from the March 14-15 tornado outbreak.

During that timeframe, the state experienced 18 tornadoes, and seven people died.

“These storms had a devastating impact on communities throughout Mississippi,” said Reeves. “Our state continues to pray for those who lost their lives, are recovering from injuries, and their families. We’ll do whatever it takes to help Mississippi communities rebuild and recover. This request is the next step in that process. The state of Mississippi will be there for as long as it takes.”
 
The state is requesting Individual Assistance for the following 14 counties: 

• Carroll
• Covington
• Grenada
• Holmes
• Issaquena
• Itawamba
• Jasper
• Jefferson Davis
• Leflore
• Marion
• Montgomery
• Pike
• Smith
• Walthall

FEMA-validated numbers show that in those 14 counties, 233 homes were destroyed, 208 homes received major damage, 230 had minor damage, and 92 homes were affected.

The 17 counties included in the request for Public Assistance are: 

• Calhoun
• Carroll
• Covington
• Grenada
• Humphreys
• Issaquena
• Itawamba
• Jefferson Davis
• Lee
• Leflore
• Marion
• Pike
• Prentiss
• Sharkey
• Smith
• Walthall
• Washington.

Reeves said these 17 counties have met the damage threshold requirements to be eligible for Public Assistance, with an estimated total of approximately $18.2 million worth of damage.
 
Individual Assistance is for residents in declared counties. It can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals recover from the effects of a disaster.

The purpose of the Public Assistance Program is to support local governments and certain nonprofits recover from major disasters by providing them with grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and the restoration of public infrastructure.
 
The president must approve the request for federal assistance to become available to local and county governments and certain nonprofits.