FEMADR-4697-MSMajor disasterDeclared March 26, 2023
DR-4697-MS: Mississippi Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Mississippi (DR-4697-MS) on March 26, 2023 for the incident of March 24, 2023 to March 25, 2023; it covers 7 designated areas. FEMA had approved $13.6 million for 3,764 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $78.5 million in Public Assistance (as of July 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-4697-MS (also written FEMA-4697-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Mississippi
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
- Incident period
- March 24, 2023 to March 25, 2023
- Declared
- March 26, 2023
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the first of 2 major disaster declarations for Mississippi in 2023
- Status
- open (not yet closed out by FEMA)
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- May 25, 2023
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Humphreys (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monroe (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Montgomery (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Panola (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sharkey (County) | Yes | 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?
3,764households approved for help (IHP)
$13.6 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$9.1 millionof it for housing
$4.5 millionof it for other needs
$78.5 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$4.9 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of October 1, 2026, public assistance as of July 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.
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/4697. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on May 25, 2023.