Some Mississippi Residents may face power outages for weeks

Gregory Moore, left, helps fill sand bags as residents in Gulfport, Mississippi, prepare for the storm on Saturday. Steve Helber/AP

After Hurricane Ida ravaged much of the state on Monday, many Mississippi residents are trying to pick up the pieces. Several Federal Emergency Management Agency search and rescue teams as well as a few National Guard members from Mississippi will assist with the recovery effort in Louisiana and in parts of Southern Mississippi.

In the midst of the storms, the Mississippi Emergency Management Director said roughly 144,000 customers lost power across the state. The number stood at about 55,000 as of Tuesday morning.

The hardest-hit areas are in the southwest corner of Louisiana, near Brookhaven and McComb, and because of the extensive damage in that area, as well as heavy damage throughout Louisiana, officials warn the outage may last for days.

Residents most affected by the storm are also receiving relief from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

A total of more than 4,000 bottles of water and 400 tarps have already been sent to affected counties. Additionally, sandbags have also been provided to areas facing flooding.

Emergency management directors for each county are listed at https://www.msema.org/county-ema. Residents in need of assistance are directed to contact them.

Anyone who suffered property damage was encouraged to self-report on the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's website: https://www.msema.org/contact/crisistrack/.

For those who have questions about Hurricane Ida assistance, White encouraged residents to call 1-888-574-3583.

Article Courtesy: Clarion Ledger staff writers Gabriela Szymanowska, Brian Broom and Keisha Rowe and Hattiesburg American staff writers Lici Beveridge, Lauren Thrailkill and Dominic Gwinn contributed to this report. Photo courtesy: Steve Helber/AP