PEARL – May 14, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — A Yazoo resident is the first survivor of the April 24 tornado to purchase a Mississippi Cottage to replace his destroyed home.
Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour met Eddie Ketchum at 11 a.m. today in front of his new home on Canton Drive to hand him the keys to his Mississippi Cottage.
“I am honored to be here today as the first tornado survivor, Eddie Ketchum, moves into his new home,” First Lady Barbour said. “I’m so happy that the state of Mississippi is able to offer these cottages to help people put their lives back together after such devastating tornadoes.”
Ketchum said he was blessed to receive the cottage after the tornado destroyed his home just three weeks ago.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is selling Mississippi Cottages to eligible tornado survivors who are financially unable to rebuild in the disaster declared counties of Attala, Choctaw, Holmes, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Union, Warren and Yazoo.
MEMA housing advisors will be available at the Yazoo Disaster Recovery Center in the National Guard Armory, 2201 Gordon Avenue, this weekend to answer questions and assist people applying to purchase a cottage.
The cottages were developed through MEMA’s Alternative Housing Program and funded by a $281 million federal grant awarded to develop safer, more comfortable housing units following disasters.
To determine if you are eligible to purchase a Mississippi Cottage you must first register for assistance with FEMA online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice.
For more information call MEMA’s Public Information Line at 866-519-MEMA or the media line at 866-920-MEMA or visit www.msema.org.
Media Contact 866-920-MEMA (6362)
