The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said FEMA is still reviewing the state’s request for an Individual Assistance declaration and urged residents to submit damage information through MEMA’s online self-report tool.
Officials said the self-report tool helps MEMA collect data needed to build a case for Individual Assistance from FEMA, but emphasized that submitting a report is not an application for financial aid. The agency provided the reporting link at https://www.msema.org/report-damage.
MEMA also warned that the reporting tool is not a 9-1-1 service and instructed anyone with an immediate, life-threatening need after a storm to call 9-1-1. The agency said the self-reports are a data-collection step used to document impacts across counties.
Individual Assistance is a federal FEMA program that can provide help to people affected by disasters, including housing and other needs, when approved. MEMA said compiling accurate damage reports strengthens the state’s case to secure that assistance.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
