MISS. DISASTER ASSISTANCE TOPS $6M:

More than $6 million in disaster assistance has been sent to Mississippians who suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Ivan, the state’s emergency response agency reported. Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), said more than $4.9 million of that total was given in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to help disaster-affected homeowners and renters with temporary housing and emergency disaster repairs to their homes. Residents who applied to FEMA for help with eligible disaster needs, such as replacing personal property, medical expenses, vehicle costs and certain other expenses have received more than $1.8 million in checks. MEMA said counties and cities within Mississippi have estimated more than $16 million in public damages that include such items as public infrastructure, debris removal and emergency protective measures. Those estimates do not include claims made to private insurance companies, but only estimated costs associated with recovery for counties, cities and private nonprofit organizations within the declared counties.