FEMADR-1470-MSMajor disasterDeclared May 23, 2003
DR-1470-MS: Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Mississippi (DR-1470-MS) on May 23, 2003 for the incident of May 5, 2003 to May 8, 2003; it covers 9 designated areas. FEMA had approved $740,552 for 124 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1470-MS (also written FEMA-1470-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Mississippi
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds
- Incident period
- May 5, 2003 to May 8, 2003
- Declared
- May 23, 2003
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the second of 2 major disaster declarations for Mississippi in 2003
- Status
- closed out on September 30, 2008
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- July 22, 2003
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Which areas are covered, and for what?
| Designated area | Individuals and Households | Individual Assistance (older program) | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Chickasaw (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Clay (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Itawamba (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Lee (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Lowndes (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Monroe (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Pontotoc (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Webster (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
An area can be added to a declaration after the first day, or have a program added: this table is FEMA's current list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
How much has FEMA approved?
124households approved for help (IHP)
$740,552Individuals and Households Program approved
$390,852of it for housing
$349,700of it for other needs
Individual assistance figures as of October 1, 2026. FEMA updates both as applications are decided.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2); FEMA, OpenFEMA FEMA Web Disaster Summaries (v1). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1470. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on July 22, 2003.