By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
September 22, 2004
Lauderdale and Clarke county residents are now eligible to receive financial assistance from the federal government as they recover from damages associated with Hurricane Ivan.
Help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency became possible after the agency added the counties to a statewide list of other counties eligible for individual assistance.
Possible help could include temporary housing or rental expenses for people while their homes are being repaired.
Mike Dill, southeast area coordinator for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the Tuesday declaration "opens up a whole new avenue of options available to the public."
Dill also said MEMA is looking for a site to open a disaster recovery center in Meridian.
Meanwhile, Mississippi officials said anyone affected by the storm should call FEMA even if they think they may not qualify for assistance. The call could take up to 30 minutes.
FEMA can be reached at (800) 621-3362. Callers should provide their Social Security number, their address, they gross income and their insurance information.