April 2, 2025 – The Mississippi congressional delegation today shared their strong support for Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration after deadly weather struck the state on March 14-15.
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss., sent President Trump a letter endorsing the governor’s request for an expedited major disaster declaration for the State of Mississippi, and for individual federal assistance for 14 counties. If approved, the presidential disaster declaration would unlock additional federal resources to supplement state recovery efforts.
“In the wake of recent extreme weather that brought severe thunderstorms and violent tornadoes to the State of Mississippi, we request your full consideration of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter follows a preliminary disaster assessment, which highlights the extent of loss of life, injuries, and damage.
“Available resources from state and local governments and volunteer organizations are inadequate to meet the state’s recovery needs. Significant federal assistance and cooperation are needed for Mississippi to rebuild,” the lawmakers wrote.
Read the full letter below.
Dear President Trump,
In the wake of recent extreme weather that brought severe thunderstorms and violent tornadoes to the State of Mississippi, we request your full consideration of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration.
We appreciate the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Mississippians recover from past disasters. As recovery efforts continue, we anticipate expeditious support from the agency in assisting the state and local officials.
From the night of March 14 through March 15, 2025, at least 20 Mississippi counties endured extreme weather conditions, including hurricane-force winds, baseball-sized hail, 18 tornadoes, and flash flooding. A magnitude 3.0 earthquake also struck near Magee, Mississippi, during the storms. Tragically, seven Mississippians lost their lives as a result of these storms, which caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. FEMA-validated reports indicate that the storms caused at least $18.2 million in damages, including 233 destroyed homes and 208 homes with major damage.
Gov. Tate Reeves has requested a federal disaster declaration including Individual
Assistance for the following 14 counties: Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Holmes, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall. The request also includes Public Assistance for the following 17 counties: Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall, and Washington.
Available resources from state and local governments and volunteer organizations are inadequate to meet the state’s recovery needs. Significant federal assistance and cooperation are needed for Mississippi to rebuild. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance in this effort.
