Mississippi is still waiting on a declaration from the federal government that would allow residents to apply for individual assistance for damage wrought by a winter storm last month, lawmakers said at a legislative briefing on Wednesday.

A group of lawmakers, most of whom represent areas in north Mississippi hit hardest by the storm, convened at the Capitol to discuss damage assessment and ongoing efforts to secure funding for local governments and individuals staring down a costly recovery. The ice storm resulted in the death of at least 29 people, forced thousands to go without power for weeks, hampered local water systems and left debris and damage across large swaths of terrain.

Rep. Jody Steverson, a Republican from Ripley who chaired the hearing, said he has been receiving calls from constituents wondering when they could apply for individual assistance to help pay for damage to their homes. But that money could only be provided by the federal government issuing an individual assistance declaration.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Scott Simmons said earlier this month that the state is “nowhere near” finished with its damage assessment, which FEMA uses as a basis for approving different types of assistance.

On Feb. 6, President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration request from Mississippi, clearing the way for local governments to seek public assistance through FEMA, which would go toward repairs for infrastructure such as roads and government buildings. The federal government has also stepped in to provide food and supplies across Mississippi and approved replacement benefits for SNAP recipients. But the declaration that would provide assistance for individual residents with damaged property could still be weeks away, lawmakers said at the Wednesday hearing.

Sen. Scott DeLano, a Republican from Biloxi, has said the state’s damages from Winter Storm Fern will likely reach $400 million. His district was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and he said some elements of the damage he had seen in north Mississippi as a result of the winter storm, such as widespread power outages, were evocative of the historic hurricane.

“What we saw a couple of weeks ago in north Mississippi is equally as devastating as Katrina was for south Mississippi,” DeLano said. “We understand that we’re in unprecedented times when it comes to the scale of impacts across the northern part of the state. When you have an ice dome where you have four or five days that nobody can get in, that’s the thing that all of the families that lived through this will be scarred their entire life for.”

More updates from the hearing include:

• One of the biggest challenges local governments have faced is the cost of tree removal. The federal government will reimburse 75% of these costs, the state will pay 12.5% and local governments will cover the remaining 12.5%, said Sen. Daniel Sparks, a Republican from Belmont. In places such as Prentiss County, that figure could reach about $3.5 million. Many cities and counties will not be able to afford their cost for these repairs, which means the state would likely need to step in to provide additional local assistance, Sparks said.
• Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, who was present at the Capitol for the hearing, said her city is facing close to $25 million in storm recovery expenses. Debris removal makes up by far the largest share of the costs at an estimated $16.6 million. “It has just been a catastrophic event,” Tannehill said. “We didn’t budget for $25 million in expenses this year.” Tannehill said she met with House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Wednesday and urged them to pass legislation sending additional money to local governments.
• The Senate has passed a bill, which now heads to the House for discussion, that would create a “disaster recovery emergency loan program” to aid counties included in the recent federal disaster declaration. DeLano described the proposed program as a “revolving loan fund,” meant to get public assistance money to counties and cities on the front end as they await reimbursements from FEMA. On Wednesday, DeLano said the bill would serve as a starting point for negotiations with the House.
• Multiple lawmakers urged their constituents to document all damage to their properties and record all conversations they have in the future with insurance companies. In previous natural disasters, some Mississippians have been left on the hook for pricy repairs because they didn’t have such documentation.
• Rep. Rodney Hall, a Republican from Southaven, called for an “after-action review” of Mississippi’s response to the winter storm. He said he’s spoken to several mayors who have been displeased with the pace at which state officials responded to the dangerous conditions.