by MBJ Staff Published: February 8,2012
Tags: disaster, disaster recovery, federal government, homeowners, homes, houses, hurricanes, severe weather, tropical weather, Weather
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed a plan to waive recoupment of improper disaster assistance payments that were disbursed due to government error, according to U.S. Senators Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
Next week, FEMA will send letters to 90,000 affected individuals and households informing them [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: February 8,2012
Tags: colleges, education, environment, higher education, hurricanes, hydrology, rivers, severe weather, tropical weather, universities, water quality, Weather
HATTIESBURG — An article in a recent issue of the “Journal of Hydrology” details how a team of scientists headed by researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi found that Hurricane Katrina had minimal long-term impact on the water quality of the East Pearl River in southwest Mississippi.
Led by Alan Shiller, professor of marine science [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: February 1,2012
Tags: blight, buildings, Commercial Real Estate, community development, demolition, flooding, floods, hurricanes, municipal government, properties, real estate, severe weather, storm surge, tropical weather, Weather, wind
BILOXI — Blighted buildings are coming down in Biloxi.
The Sun Herald reports the city council approved inspections yesterday of six more blighted buildings, including the White House Hotel.
Jerry Creel, community development director, says his department wants the owners of the White House to remove the steel beams on the west side of the hotel or [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 30,2012
Tags: flood insurance, homeowners insurance, hurricanes, insurance, real estate, severe weather, state government, storm surge, tropical weather, Weather, wind, Wind Pool
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — Members of Mississippi’s wind pool board are in London this week to seek low reinsurance rates — a key factor in the cost of policyholders’ premiums.
The Mississippi Press reports that the board left Saturday and are expected to return Friday.
The Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association is the insurer of last resort for [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 27,2012
Tags: building, charges, construction, disaster, disaster recovery, grand jury, hurricanes, investing, investment, investment scheme, investors, natural disaster, rebuilding, scam, servere weather, tropical weather, Weather
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — Federal officials say a man in Hawaii has been charged by a grand jury in connection with an investment scheme related to rebuilding projects in areas of Mississippi affected by Hurricane Katrina.
A Justice Department news release from the Jackson FBI office identifies the man as 54-year-old Dan Doyle, a resident of [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 26,2012
Tags: bridges, cleanup, courts, debris, disaster, disaster recovery, highways, hurricanes, judge, judicial, judiciary, kickback, law, money laundering, natural disaster, roads, severe weather, streets, transportation, travel, tropical weather, Weather
GULFPORT — The trial of a former county road manager from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and his wife has been rescheduled for May 14 in federal court in Gulfport.
Roger Ladner, Hancock County’s former road manager, and his wife, Sharon, have pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing them of being involved in a kickback scheme [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 27,2011
Tags: courts, flood insurance, homeowners, homeowners insurance, homes, hurricanes, insurance, severe weather, tropical weather, Weather
PASCAGOULA — The Mississippi Supreme Court has overturned a judgment for an insurance company in a wind vs. water case involving a Pascagoula home hit by 6.3 feet of storm surge during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The National Flood Insurance Program paid Michael Robichaux and his wife, Mary, who has since died, policy limits for the [...] [...]
MENDENHALL and SMITH COUNTY — The city of Mendenhall as well as Smith County have earned the latest StormReady designation by the National Weather Service.
Mississippi now has 41 StormReady designations that cover 16 cities or towns, 20 counties, three state universities and one government site.
StormReady is a nationwide program of the National Weather Service that [...] [...]
GULF OF MEXICO — Hurricane forecaster William Gray will wait until spring to predict how many storms will form in the Atlantic.
Gray and his research partner at Colorado State University, Philip Klotzbach, usually start making predictions in December but this month, for the first time in 20 years, they’re holding off on forecasting the number [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 13,2011
Tags: courts, debris, disaster, disaster recovery, fraud, hurricanes, natural disaster, severe weather, storms, tropical weather, Weather
WAYNE COUNTY — Court records indicate that federal authorities are negotiating a plea with a man charged with Hurricane Katrina fraud related to debris removal in Wayne County.
Judd Johnston was an inspector charged with signing off on loads of debris removed from county property. The November indictment in the case says Johnston was paid to [...] [...]
Loading ...