Hurricane Gustav Resources

Preliminary Damage Assessments for Gustav

PEARL – Joint preliminary damage assessments are being conducted by MEMA, FEMA and representatives from local governments.

The joint teams are assessing the damage in Washington, Wilkinson, Harrison and Hancock counties to see if they meet the federal threshold for disaster aid to individuals and households.

The joint teams are also assessing damage in these 16 counties — Adams, Amite, Copiah, Forrest, Franklin, George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jones, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Stone, Warren and Wilkinson counties — to see if they qualify for federal public assistance.

Hurricane Gustav caused damage from high winds, tornadoes, torrential rainfall and inland flooding. The state received high winds and heavy rains along the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast and up to Brookhaven.

If approved, Public Assistance would provide aid to public and certain private, non-profit entities for certain emergency services and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged public facilities.

FEMA assesses a number of factors to determine the severity, magnitude and impact of a disaster event.  Preliminary damage assessments are used to estimate the extent of the disaster and its impact on individuals and public facilities.

OTHER GUSTAV UPDATES:
The following updates are related to the impacts of Hurricane Gustav in Mississippi:

Power outages:
•         Power is expected to be restored by Saturday morning to most costumers.
•         27,382 outages reported statewide this morning.
•         Entergy reports having 9,123power outages.
•         Electric Power Associations of Mississippi report having 18,259 power outages.

Shelters:
•         As of 4 p.m. 8,160 evacuees were still listed in 76 registered shelters in Mississippi.

Schools:
•         Amite County will be closed Friday for students, but faculty is scheduled to report to work.

Current damage reports:
•         As of 2 p.m. today, MEMA has received statewide reports of 17 destroyed homes, 37 homes with major damage, 666 homes with minor damage; 21 mobile homes destroyed; eight mobile homes with major damage and 620 with minor damage. One business is reported destroyed, 13 with major damage and 36 with minor damage.
•         45 counties have local emergency proclamations.
•         46 cities have local emergency proclamations.
•         The University of Southern Mississippi has a local emergency proclamation.
•         The Mississippi Band of Choctaws has a local emergency proclamation.
•         Washington County: 140 structures with minor damage; major flooding in Greenville and county.
•         Amite County: has 100 displaced people in addition to the damaged homes, buildings and mobile homes already reported. 195 homes with minor damage and 257 mobile homes with minor damage. Two homes in Amite have been destroyed and three have sustained major damage. Two mobile homes have been destroyed and seven have sustained major damage. Six businesses have minor damage. Eighteen public roads have minor damage and six public roads have major damage.
•         City of Liberty in Amite County: has 40 displaced people.
•         Copiah County: impacted by an F1 tornado in the southeastern part of the county.
•         Issaquena County: 17 people displaced.
•         Warren County: 515 people are displaced.
•         Lincoln County: four mobile homes destroyed; six homes with major damage; 14 homes with minor damage; 2 businesses with minor damage; 43 public roads with minor damage and 30 roads with major damage; 2 publicly owned buildings with minor damage; 1 nonprofit utility with minor damage; 1 injury/ 1 hospitalized; still clearing debris from roads but most are passable at this time; no state resources are required at this time;
•         Harrison County has reported four homes destroyed seven homes with major damage and 345 homes with minor damage. The county has also reported nine mobile homes destroyed and 328 mobile homes with minor damage. Eleven businesses in Harrison have reported minor damage. Twenty-two public buildings have major damage in Harrison.
•         Pike County reports 18 homes with major damage and 36 with minor damage.

MEMA will update this information as it becomes available.
Source:  “News Release:  Preliminary Damage Assesments for Gustav.”  MEMA.  4 September 2008, 5:00 PM.