President Trump grants additional assistance after major January snow and ice storm in Mississippi

OXFORD, Miss. – Thousands of people in Mississippi are getting extra help from government officials after an intense January winter storm left parts of the state paralyzed.

President Donald Trump has granted additional assistance to Mississippi residents after a severe winter storm that occurred from Jan. 23 to 27.

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI CRIPPLED BY PARALYZING INCH+ OF ICE ACCRETION, ARCTIC AIR AFTER MONSTER WINTER STORM

A plethora of communities, including Oxford, Rolling Fork and Lexington, Mississippi, experienced at least an inch of ice accumulation, resulting in widespread downed trees and power lines throughout the state.

Ice accretion became so thick that branches could not support their weight, collapsing onto homes, cars, roads and power lines, leaving areas badly damaged and inaccessible.

"It really looks like a tornado has gone through town," Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill said after the storm.

WHAT ARE ICE STORMS AND WHY ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

Reports indicated that nearly 300,000 people in the state were without electricity at one point. This increased after a winter storm transitioned from snow to freezing rain overnight, significantly icing much of the state.

As a result of the ongoing struggle in recovery efforts, President Trump’s grant makes federal funding available to individuals affected in 36 counties, including the Band of Choctaw Indians.

The aided counties include:

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This grant includes temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses and many other programs to aid in recovery.

This could go a long way in the interim while people rebuild residences and other structures for housing. Hopefully, this will help thousands of Americans get back to normalcy sooner rather than later.

With the winter weather behind us, residents affected can get the assistance they need before the unbearable summer warmth kicks in a few months.