The Marion County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to go ahead and begin cleanup from the deadly EF-3 tornado that ravaged parts of Sandy Hook and Mississippi 13 South on April 19, despite not having received a federal emergency declaration yet.
County Engineer Jeff Dungan spoke to the board Tuesday and said unbeknownst to Emergency Management Director Aaron Greer and Dungan, the deadline to file had already passed when the county put its request in, according to MEMA. Damage from the tornado in Forest, Lamar and Marion counties has been estimated to be $4.5 million, which should meet the threshold required to receive the declaration.
Marion County had over $2 million in damages alone, Dungan said, mostly in trees and debris.
Dungan recommended to the board to adopt a resolution to send to the governor to request for an additional 30 days to turn in all damages, citing everything Marion County has been going through in the last few months, including the Pearl River flooding in February, the COVID-19 pandemic and the tornado. He advised the board Lamar County did the same thing on Monday and expects Forest County to do the same thing. The board approved the resolution.
Looks Great Services secured the procurement of the clean-up contract with DebrisTech doing the monitoring. Dungan suggested clean-up begins with the tree work before removing any debris, in case the county does not receive the emergency FEMA declaration.
Dungan also reported the plant in Prentiss that makes the slabs and caps for the bridges is still behind because of COVID-19 and an overload of orders. He said he was advised the slabs will not be made until late July so it will be around the first of August before the work to replace the bridges on New Hope, Shiloh-Firetower and Lampton Hilltop roads begins.
The bridge on Old Mississippi 35 South should be completed in about six weeks, barring any delays, he advised.
