WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today pledged to work with federal, state and local officials as damage assessments are made to determine what federal assistance might help central Mississippi recover from a deadly tornado that ripped through the state Saturday.

Both Senators and their offices have been conferring with state officials in the aftermath of the storms that claimed the lives of 10 Mississippians and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.  The state is currently working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on damage assessments that will be used in a federal emergency disaster designation request.

“I offer my condolences to those families who have lost loved ones and to those whose homes were destroyed,” Cochran said.  “We are coordinating our efforts to make sure Mississippi gets any relief funding and support it qualifies for under our federal disaster programs.  We will continue to coordinate and consult with officials as the scope of the storm damage is measured and as the rebuilding process begins.”
 
“My office has been working closely with emergency management teams to make sure each community has the support it needs. We are also coordinating with federal agencies to ensure resources are available at the appropriate time,” said Wicker.  “I appreciate the strong leadership of Governor Barbour and our local officials. At the federal level, authorities realize that Mississippi knows what it is doing. Our officials have done this before and the people of our state are resilient. There’s a lot of confidence in Washington that Mississippi is going to do things right.”
 
The Senators encouraged those wishing to contribute to victim relief efforts or to volunteer to visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency website at www.msema.org which includes information on a variety of support organizations and activities in the state.

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