Forrest County is one of 10 Mississippi counties to benefit from federal assistance after President Donald J. Trump declared parts of South Mississippi a major disaster.
The damage resulted from severe storms and flooding Dec. 27 and 28 in Forrest, Clarke, Covington, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Marion, Newton, Perry and Wayne counties.
According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, Hattiesburg recorded 7.5 inches of rain during a 24-hour period, while people around the area reported in excess of 10 inches in their backyard rain gauges. The rain began about 1 p.m. Thursday and continued into early Friday morning.
Several stretches of road in Hattiesburg were closed because of flooding, though most roads were open again by the next morning. A portion of Byrd Boulevard at Old Richton Road in Petal also was reported as washed out.
The heavy rainfall was the result of Winter Storm Eboni, which caused flooding from southeastern Louisiana to New Jersey.
During the flooding, members of the Petal Fire Department conducted water rescues at homes throughout the city, as well as a swift-water rescue. No mandatory evacuation was issued.
The disaster declaration orders federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the affected areas.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, and tornado.
