View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2020/04/20/565452.htm
President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for Mississippi for strong storms that struck the state on Sunday, April 12, including several tornadoes.
The storms swept through several states from Texas to Maryland on Sunday and Monday, killing at least 36 people. Mississippi has reported at least 14 deaths.
Gov. Tate Reeves said Friday that the disaster declaration will allow individual assistance to people affected by the storms, including those whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed. Trump approved Mississippi’s declaration late Thursday.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said Thursday that at least 33 of the state’s 82 counties have reported damage from the storms. MEMA said at least 1,200 homes and 75 businesses were affected.
The National Weather Service said more than 100 tornadoes struck the South during the two-day outbreak. It confirmed that 13 of those were in Mississippi. One that hit the Bassfield was 2.25 miles (3.62 kilometers) wide, making it the widest tornado on record in Mississippi and the third-widest tornado on record in the United States.