Trump approves pre-disaster declarations for Mississippi, Louisiana

Sep. 14--PEARL -- Adams County and Concordia Parish are included in President Donald J. Trump's approval of federal emergency declaration requests from the Mississippi and Louisiana governors in anticipation of Hurricane Sally.

Under Trump's approval of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' request for a federal emergency declaration, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, under the public assistance program at 75% federal funding for 24 Mississippi counties.

The following counties are eligible for this federal assistance: Adams, Amite, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Stone, Walthall, Wayne and Wilkinson.

The purpose of a federal emergency declaration is to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas.

Trump also approved Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' request for federal assistance related to Hurricane Sally.

Edwards submitted the pre-landfall emergency declaration to the President and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday.

"I want to thank the President for his quick action on my request for federal assistance related to Hurricane Sally," said Gov. Edwards. "Though the track has shifted, Southeast Louisiana could still see impacts from Sally, which is now forecast to make landfall potentially as a Category 3, east of Louisiana. We are prepared to respond to whatever threats Hurricane Sally poses to the state."

FEMA is authorized to provide Public Assistance Category B (emergency protective measures), including direct Federal assistance for Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes.

FEMA is also authorized to provide Public Assistance Category B emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance for the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Carroll, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, La Salle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, and Winn.

Additional designations may be made later if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further evaluation.

The governors' office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will continue working with FEMA to ensure that reimbursement of other emergency costs will be approved as well as costs for other regions of the state should they be needed for this event.

Direct Federal Assistance (DFA)

Edwards requested direct federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property. Examples of DFA include:

* United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) -- sandbags, self-contained pumps, damage assessment teams, power generation, technical assistance, mapping, GIS support.

* United States Coast Guard -- air transportation assets, technical assistance, search and rescue operations.

* Civil Air Patrol -- air assets.

* United States Fish and Wildlife Service -- wildlife management assistance within the Atchafalaya basin and technical assistance.

* United States Department of Agriculture -- crop damage assessment, livestock assistance, technical assistance, water management, and inundation mapping.

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