POPLARVILLE —
Pearl River County supervisors on Tuesday extended an emergency declaration for Pearl River County for another week to deal with the continued impact of Hurricane Isaac. For the declaration to continue, supervisors have to extend it every seven days.
Isaac dumped 22 inches of rain on Pearl River County in three days last week, producing flooding all along East and West Hobolochitto creeks, Hobolochitto Creek south of Picayune, and Pearl River and Wolf River.
Officials have estimated that more than 600 homes have been flooded.
Hardest hit were East Picayune, Westchester subdivision in West Picayune and the Walkiah Bluff Water Park area. However, extensive flooding occurred all up and down the streams that drain Pearl River County.
On Tuesday, county engineer Les Dungan told supervisors that a preliminary survey of damaged roads, bridges and county property has already surpassed $1 million and the survey crew has not even reached South Pearl River County around Picayune where most of the flooding occurred.
He said most of the damage was the result of county roads being overflowed by high water, causing major erosion from washouts. He said a number of miles of road that had been ready to be paved had suffered “major damage.”
In Poplarville, FEMA and MEMA opened a disaster recovery center at the corner of Cumberland and Main streets at the old Baker Maid building and are accepting requests for individual assistance, supervisors said.
A similar center was opened at the National Guard Armory in Picayune on Mississippi Highway 11 South, officials said.
Supervisors said residents hit by the flooding and needing assistance can call 1-800-621-3362, for instructions on how to go about getting help, and that the county EOC has a site on Facebook that also has a lot of information victims can use.
Supervisor and board president J. Patrick Lee said that extending the emergency declaration will allow county officials to expedite steps that will allow them to address problems more quickly, such as contracting for services needed during the cleanup.
Lee said the county will move immediately to contract with firms to pick up debris in a cleanup effort. He said residents should sort debris and place it along side the road for pickup.
He said debris should be sorted into three separate piles, household construction debris, white goods like stoves and refrigerators and vegetative debris, leaves, limbs and trees.
Board attorney Joe Montgomery said the board was trying to make sure it is on firm legal footing by extending the declaration. “The board wants to ensure that every resident can receive legally every benefit he or she is entitled to,” said Montgomery. “Residents should take advantage of every benefit offered by the federal, state and local governments.”
In other matters pertaining to the storm, supervisors:
— Voted to waive all building and construction permit fees to facilitate the rebuilding effort. Supervisors said residents wanting to rehabilitate homes after the flood would be spared building and construction fees, although a permit for the work still has to be acquired from the county.
— FEMA has told county officials that the agency will expedite approval of contracts for debris removal. Lee said within about one to two weeks, residents should see crews begin picking up debris. “That will be very beneficial to places like Westchester and East Picayune,” said Lee.
— Lee said that only about 11 homes in Westchester subdivision escaped flooding. The rest received water. It was West Hobolochitto Creek and the main Hobolochitto that flooded Westchester in West Picayune.
— Supervisors went into an executive session to discuss litigation and then recessed to its next board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 12, when it will hold a budget hearing to hear remarks from citizens concerning a possible tax increase to support the 2012-13 new budget. After the hearing, the board will vote on whether or not to increase millage rates and to adopt the new budget, which takes effect on Oct. 1. Last year, supervisors increased millage rates by three mills to support the general fund. If supervisors do raise millage rates, it will mark the second year in a row that they have done so.
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Related Photos
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FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, left, addresses media, above, at a press conference held Tuesday at the Hancock County Community Shelter in Kiln. Disaster recovery centers have been opened in several storm affected counties, including Pearl River County. In the photo at top, residents in and around Westchester and other flood affected areas began to pull flood damaged items from their homes and put them at the street for collection. Item photos by Jeremy Pittari
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