[04/25/03]Federal funds have been approved through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for local residents whose homes were damaged in flooding this month.

About .74 inches of rain fell across Warren County Thursday, the same day Gov. Ronnie Musgrove announced the federal disaster areas in Mississippi following a declaration from President Bush. Those areas include Warren, Claiborne and Issaquena counties.

No additional damage was reported in Vicksburg or Warren County from Thursday’s storm that left a path of destruction in Brandon and Rankin County.

Musgrove declared a state emergency on April 7 and asked the president for individual assistance, crisis counseling and Small Business Administration disaster loans. That damage is estimated at $21 million by the state Department of Insurance. Actual figures could be higher once damage to uninsured property is included.

“Our focus has been on getting assistance to those affected by the storms and getting that assistance as soon as possible,” Musgrove said in a statement. “I appreciate the quick and favorable response to our request.”

Locally, 51 homes were damaged from flooding and mudslides, and some residents were forced to evacuate after 8.31 inches of rain fell as two storm cells moved through the area back-to-back. Damage also included the roof at Redwood Elementary and flooding at the city’s waste water treatment plant and Memorial Fire Station No. 2.

Amy Carruth with MEMA said homeowners, renters, landlords and business owners can now apply for low-interest loans and some may receive grants to help with repairs from the damage. She said that once an application is made to the federal agency, an inspector will visit the house in five to 10 days and that funding should be made available to the homeowner five to 10 days later.

“It’s helpful if you have a picture or took a video of the damage,” Carruth said.

Homeowners should also hold on to any receipts for cleanup or repair. Loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration can be up to $200,000 for homeowners, $40,000 for renters and $1.5 million for businesses.

Interest rates for homeowners and renters can be as low as 2.937 percent and 3.189 percent for business owners. The deadline to apply is June 23.

Individual assistance is also being made available to homeowners in Amite, Attala, Clarke, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds, Holmes, Jasper, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Wayne and Yazoo counties.

Applications for disaster assistance will be handled through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will be setting up a field office in Jackson next week to help process disaster relief requests.

The governor expanded the request last week for federal relief to include funds for local governments to repair roads, bridges, public buildings and some private nonprofit entities.

Public assistance is being made available in Clarke, Hinds, Lauderdale, Lincoln, Madison, Newton, Scott, Warren and Yazoo counties. Public facilities damage in those counties has been estimated at $4.8 million.

Ongoing repairs to the city’s sewer plant are expected to cost $1.5 million while work being done this week at the fire station on Indiana Avenue is expected to cost about $12,000. The station was closed this week, and two fire trucks have been temporarily housed at other stations.

Work at the station includes replacing baseboards and insulation damaged by floodwater and replacing hardwood floors that had cost $13,000 when the firehouse was built in 2000. The flooring that had been criticized by some as being too expensive is being replaced with tiles.

Warren County has also applied for $144,000 from the Natural Resource Conservation Service to make emergency repairs on Douglas Road, Possum Hollow Road, Bell Bottom Road, Roy Young Road, Ridgelawn Drive and Dana Road.

The Mississippi Employment Security Commission has also made Disaster Unemployment Assistance available in 28 counties including Warren, Claiborne and Issaquena. Residents who were unable to work because of the storms, tornadoes and flooding can apply for unemployment benefits of up to $210 per week.

Application can be filed at MESC offices statewide, and the deadline is May 26.