Barbour petitioning Obama for disaster declaration

AROUND MISSISSIPPI — Gov. Haley Barbour has requested President Obama declare Greene, Hinds and Kemper counties as major disaster areas, allowing residents who live in those counties to access federal government individual assistance programs.

If approved, individuals would be able to utilize federal aid to help with recovery needs from the storm system that crossed the state April 15.

The state reported one death, multiple injured residents and numerous destroyed residences as a result of this severe weather system. Officials from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been in Greene, Hinds and Kemper, the most impacted counties, since the storms hit conducting damage assessments.

The governor is requesting the Individual Assistance Program, including the Individuals and Households Program, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, the Disaster Food Stamps Program and Small Business Administration disaster loans for Greene, Hinds and Kemper counties as well as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.

Source: Gov. Haley Barbour