FEMADR-4478-MSMajor disasterDeclared March 12, 2020
DR-4478-MS: Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Mississippi (DR-4478-MS) on March 12, 2020 for the incident of January 10, 2020 to January 11, 2020; it covers 13 designated areas. FEMA had approved obligated $7.8 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-4478-MS (also written FEMA-4478-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Mississippi
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
- Incident period
- January 10, 2020 to January 11, 2020
- Declared
- March 12, 2020
- Programs declared
- Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the first of 6 major disaster declarations for Mississippi in 2020
- Status
- open (not yet closed out by FEMA)
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 | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Chickasaw (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Choctaw (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Clay (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| DeSoto (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Oktibbeha (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Panola (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Prentiss (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Quitman (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Sunflower (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Tallahatchie (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Tishomingo (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Washington (County) | — | 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?
$7.8 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$420,026Hazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of n/a, public assistance as of May 17, 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.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/4478. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.