WDAM-TV Hattiesburg
Mississippi senators pledge support for long-term recovery from devastating ice storm
By WDAM Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDAM) – United States Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Wednesday affirmed their readiness to support additional federal aid to Mississippi as the state continues cleaning up and assessing damage caused by Winter Storm Fern.
Wicker and Hyde-Smith on Wednesday delivered floor speeches a day after Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves submitted a request for a major emergency disaster declaration for the state.
In their remarks, the senators cited the tragic loss of at least 26 lives in Mississippi, damage and the loss of electrical power for tens of thousands of homes and businesses, and the extraordinary groundswell of individual, community, state and federal actions to overcome the wrath of snow and ice on the state.
“I commend local leaders, mayors, commissioners, and the response team from FEMA,” Wicker said. “We’re thankful for what they’ve done and for their resilience.
“I’ve said this in past years: In Mississippi, our federal delegation is in this for the long haul, just like we were with the tornadoes that occurred earlier. We’re grateful to the president and for our friends at FEMA for helping us recover.”
Hyde-Smith said the storm overwhelmed areas of the state.
“This powerful storm has affected millions of Americans across the country, but its effects were especially severe in the South, a region not typically equipped to manage prolonged snow, ice, sleet and dangerous winter conditions,” Hyde-Smith said. “This storm was particularly devastating in Mississippi, a state that simply lacks the infrastructure and equipment necessary to respond to a storm of this magnitude.
“I, along with fellow members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, strongly support Governor Reeves’s request for a major disaster declaration and we encourage President (Donald) Trump to approve it swiftly. I ask my colleagues and the American people to keep the people of my state and everyone harmed by Winter Storm Fern in your prayers.”
The Mississippi senators and their staff have engaged federal, state and local officials, as well as the public, in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern.
They encouraged Mississippians to continue contacting their offices as the storm recovery process moves forward in the coming months.
A copy of Senator Wicker’s remarks is available here.
A copy of Senator Hyde-Smith’s remarks is available here.