City of Vicksburg to seek federal aid for February ice storm
Published 11:16 am Thursday, May 27, 2021
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday approved a resolution to seek federal disaster assistance for expenses incurred during the ice storm in mid-February 2021.
The resolution is in response to action by President Joe Biden declaring areas affected by the almost-weeklong storm federal disaster areas, clearing the way for affected areas to seek disaster grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said the resolution would allow the city to be reimbursed for costs associated with dealing with the storm. Preliminary estimates put the cost of the city’s response at about $100,000 in labor, equipment and supplies.
The ice storm hit Warren County on Feb. 16 and shut down the city for almost a week. During that time, the city’s water system was shut down because of water line leaks and people putting a burden on the water system.
City public works and utility employees spent days working to locate and repair water line leaks and keep some streets open. Work later shifted to debris removal as trees, tree limbs and branches weighed down with ice broke and fell, blocking streets and causing hazards.