The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is entering into an agreement with the American Red Cross to assist in temporarily lodging displaced residents from the March 24, 2023, deadly tornadoes. Under this agreement, the American Red Cross will place eligible disaster survivors into hotel or motel rooms, and provide meals for those individuals and families for up to six months based on need.
“Helping the impacted communities get back on their feet is our top priority,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “This contract with the Red Cross is going to be really important in getting Mississippians the resources they need to recover. We’ll continue to use every available resource to restore and rebuild our communities. We’re committed to being here for as long as it takes.”
We aim to give families safe and comfortable lodging while helping them work towards permanent housing solutions. To further help disaster survivors, Red Cross and FEMA case managers will address the needs of each eligible citizen and support their recovery progress. Currently, over 500 Mississippians are residing in local hotels due to the tornadoes; we anticipate little to no disruption to those currently in hotel or motel rooms during this transition phase.
To qualify for this program, survivors must register first with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362.
Displaced storm survivors who need temporary lodging under this program should call: 1-800-RedCross.
MEMA and Red Cross have partnered with a number of local hotels in the affected counties, Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola, and Sharkey, or nearby counties that could accommodate. During this sheltering mission, hotel availability may change. The Red Cross may relocate residents to another facility if necessary.
The contract is worth up to $11.6 million and is eligible for FEMA reimbursement. MEMA will request 100% reimbursement from FEMA. However, if 100% is not approved, FEMA will provide 75% reimbursement for eligible costs and the state match of 25% will come from the “housing mission fund” the Mississippi State Legislature appropriated to MEMA for FEMA-DR-4697.
While in the Red Cross-provided hotels/motels, it is essential to note that “FEMA temporary rental assistance” could be paused since the state is paying for sheltering.
At this time, the State is not releasing the address of these shelters due to the safety and security of those displaced storm survivors. Anyone needing shelter can call 1-800-RedCross.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Interview availability with MEMA’s Executive Director is from 1 pm-2 pm on April 11, 2023. Contact Allie Jasper at ajasper@mema.ms.gov to schedule your interview with the director.