WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today issued the following statement after FEMA announced it had approved public assistance for twenty counties in Mississippi that received damage from Hurricane Gustav:

“After spending time on the Gulf Coast and in Southwest Mississippi immediately following Hurricane Gustav, it was clear this federal help was needed.  I believe FEMA could have acted sooner to grant this assistance, but I am glad these federal funds will now be directed to areas in Mississippi that need them.  There is still a great amount of work to be done in these areas, and FEMA should act quickly to approve additional funding the governor requested in the form of individual assistance.”

The disaster declaration includes the following counties: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Forrest, Franklin, George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson-Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Pike, Stone, Walthall, and Wilkinson.