as of now, landfall would be west of the Mississippi-Alabama state line in Jackson County. |
Citizens need to prepare to evacuate because this is a very dangerous storm, ... I realize that we have done this drill two or three times in the past few months, but we cannot take this storm lightly. |
Even though they are in the midst of cleaning up from the largest natural disaster to hit this country and they feel like they have nothing left to lose, they are alive. |
I don't know that I have a good solution to the problem. Now we have another challenge in public education: It's not about wind speed, it's about storm surge. I have some bold ideas but I'm not going to come and say this is what we're going to do. There's a certain percentage of the population that aren't going to leave, I don't care what. |
I realize that we have done this drill two or three times in the past few months, but we cannot take this storm lightly. |
I'm going to tell them that, no matter how much you prepare, you aren't going to be prepared for something like Hurricane Katrina. That regardless of how good your plan is, you'd better be prepared for something worse. |
If any family has suffered losses or damages as a result of Hurricane Katrina and has not registered for assistance yet, I urge them to call and register before the March 11 deadline and learn what types of assistance they may be eligible for. |
In order for the recovery process to move ahead, public comment on these projects is necessary. |
It does look like, based on the current revised track, that this storm will make landfall as a high Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane, |
It is critical for families to take advantage of the extended deadline and apply now. This is our final effort to reach out to anyone who still hasn't applied for assistance. |
It's not something that can be done overnight. |
It's very difficult for people to think about right now, but they have to. Those people who are in temporary housing are much more vulnerable than they were before Katrina. |
Many homeowners in Mississippi neglect to purchase flood insurance. What many do not realize is that all residents of our state live in a flood zone. The only difference is whether you live in a low, moderate or high risk area. |
Mississippi taxpayers who were so generous to Hurricane Katrina victims now may receive some help through the Gulf Opportunity tax law changes made to encourage rebuilding and economic recovery. |
Remember, federal and state assistance is different from that of the voluntary agencies. Even if you have received help from those agencies, you also need to apply for federal and state assistance. |