Letter to the Hon. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States - Miss. Delegation Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for October Storm Damage

Letter

Dear President Trump,

In the wake of Tropical Storm Olga causing devastation across the State of Mississippi, we request your full consideration of Governor Phil Bryant's request for a Major Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act.

We appreciate the continued efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and anticipate expeditious assistance from the agency in assisting state and local officials in Mississippi as they continue their hard work to help these communities recover from straight-line winds and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Olga.

As Governor Bryant indicated in his request, the Joint Public Assistance damage assessments conducted by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), FEMA, and other agencies showed at least 154,000 power outages, 772 lost or damaged homes, 26 affected businesses, 27 destroyed or damaged roads, other public property damages, and one fatality from these events.

On November 12, 2019, Governor Phil Bryant declared a State of Emergency in Mississippi to begin rebuilding. However, resources from the state government, local governments, and volunteer organizations are not adequate to recover from these damages. All 16 counties included in the request, as well as the State of Mississippi, have met the per capita indicator threshold, and significant federal assistance and cooperation are required. This is especially true given the multiple other state and federally-declared disasters that have affected Mississippi over the past 12 months.

We are determined to help Mississippi recover by supporting the local communities, the State of Mississippi, and federal agencies as we continue to work to rebuild and renew areas affected by these major weather events. We therefore reemphasize our support of Governor Bryant's request for a Major Disaster Declaration.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance in this effort.