Moss, Miss. (Laurel Leader-Call) – After Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann visited the Moss Community in Jasper County, he said it was the worst tornado damage he’d seen since Smithville was practically wiped off the map by an F5 monster nine years ago.
“It’s total obliteration of homes and businesses,” Hosemann said of the community just across the Jones County line.
That’s why many residents were surprised that Jasper County was not included in President Donald Trump’s Federal Disaster Declaration. Jones, Jefferson Davis and Covington counties were approved to get federal assistance after being deemed disaster areas. That means victims in those counties qualify for assistance that includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, among other things.
“I want to know why the government didn’t declare jasper county a disaster but declared all the other counties a disaster? Can someone explain?,” Andrew Phillips posted on Facebook. His home and business, The Meat Hook, were destroyed in the F4 twister that struck on Easter evening.
At least 90 houses in Jasper County were damaged or destroyed, and about half of those were in Moss, said Mike Lucas, executive director of the Jasper County Emergency Management Agency.
Lucas noted that state and federal officials were still working to compile numbers and that Jasper County could still be added to disaster area, according to the federal order.
“There is a process that you have to go through, and sometimes it takes longer than others,” he said.
Raleigh attorney Mark Tullos took to Facebook to relay a conversation he had with a member of Gov. Tate Reeves’ staff about the order. The reason Jasper wasn’t included in the initial declaration, Tullos wrote, was “as soon as Jeff Davis, Covington and Jones counties met the criteria, the Governor went ahead and sent a request for Federal Disaster assistance so as not to delay funding for the State … counties can be added.”
Tullos wrote that MEMA and Lucas were “continuing to work to ensure that Jasper County’s damage assessments are correct” and to correctly calculate the amount of debris that has to be removed. He also noted that they were having to “ensure that some of Jasper County’s residences are not being included with Jones County’s numbers.”
At least 333 homes in Jones, Jefferson Davis and Covington sustained what was classified as “major damage” or were destroyed, according to a press release from Reeves’ office about the federal declaration. It also noted that damage assessments are ongoing so other counties can be added.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am for President Trump’s quick consideration to approve Mississippi’s request to help our people during this difficult time,” Reeves said. “The storms that hit on Easter Sunday were truly devastating. People are already struggling under the weight of COVID-19. By lending this helping hand, we are letting Mississippians that they are not alone. Thanks to our strong relationship with the White House, we can provide the resources necessary to reinforce our efforts to help people get back on their feet.”
Individual assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster, according to the press release from Reeves’ office.
The tornado that struck Moss packed winds of up to 190 mph and it is the widest tornado (2.25 miles) in Mississippi history, the third-widest in U.S. history.
“It has been said that patience is a virtue, but when you are without a home, personal clothing, vehicles, etc., and on top of that the COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on jobs, patience is the last thing you have on your mind,” Tullos wrote. “However, I ask that you allow the assessments to be reviewed and completed and bear with those that are responsible to ensure numbers are correct, and hopefully Federal funding will be available to not only the residents of those counties, but also public funding will be available to the local governments to help with the cleanup areas.”
Tullos wrote that MEMA and Lucas were “continuing to work to ensure that Jasper County’s damage assessments are correct” and to correctly calculate the amount of debris that has to be removed. He also noted that they were having to “ensure that some of Jasper County’s residences are not being included with Jones County’s numbers.”
At least 333 homes in Jones, Jefferson Davis and Covington sustained what was classified as “major damage” or were destroyed, according to a press release from Reeves’ office about the federal declaration. It also noted that damage assessments are ongoing so other counties can be added.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am for President Trump’s quick consideration to approve Mississippi’s request to help our people during this difficult time,” Reeves said. “The storms that hit on Easter Sunday were truly devastating. People are already struggling under the weight of COVID-19. By lending this helping hand, we are letting Mississippians that they are not alone. Thanks to our strong relationship with the White House, we can provide the resources necessary to reinforce our efforts to help people get back on their feet.”
Individual assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster, according to the press release from Reeves’ office.
The tornado that struck Moss packed winds of up to 190 mph and it is the widest tornado (2.25 miles) in Mississippi history, the third-widest in U.S. history.
“It has been said that patience is a virtue, but when you are without a home, personal clothing, vehicles, etc., and on top of that the COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on jobs, patience is the last thing you have on your mind,” Tullos wrote. “However, I ask that you allow the assessments to be reviewed and completed and bear with those that are responsible to ensure numbers are correct, and hopefully Federal funding will be available to not only the residents of those counties, but also public funding will be available to the local governments to help with the cleanup areas.”