WJTV-TV Jackson
Gov. Reeves, DHS Secretary Wolf tour Easter storm damage
Posted: Apr 17, 2020
LAUREL, Miss. (WHLT) – Governor Tate Reeves surveyed the damage from the Easter Sunday storms on Friday, along with acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
The group toured a hard-hit community in Jones County and talked to neighbors who were affected. They also discussed different types of help that people can receive the federal help.
“There may be others, such as debris removal and other types of assistance that we’ll provide through FEMA on a reimbursement basis. That’s yet to come,” explained Wolf.
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Michel said those with insurance will be covered to a degree. Now that the emergency declaration has been approved by President Donald Trump, those without insurance will now be taken care of more quickly.
“So, those who are uninsured, that’s why it’s extremely important that we get the individual assistance declaration. So, this immediate expedited emergency declaration was awarded last night is huge, because that bypasses a number of other steps that you would typically go through,” said Michel.
Reeves said crews are still documenting and assessing the damage from the storms, but federal assistance is expected to come soon.