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Harrison County declares local emergency after Tropical Storm Arthur; officials estimate major repairs
Summary
Harrison County supervisors declared a local emergency following flooding tied to Tropical Storm Arthur, approved emergency spending and overtime, and were told the River Hills wastewater plant may need repairs "up to a million dollars," while the state needs more than $5 million in damages before seeking a presidential disaster declaration.
Harrison County on June 1 declared a local state of emergency after widespread flooding tied to Tropical Storm Arthur, the Board of Supervisors voted, and county emergency staff outlined the scale of damage and immediate needs.
Matt, the county's emergency operations presenter, told the board the River Hills wastewater treatment plant has sustained significant damage and the Utility Authority "says could be repairs up to a million dollars." He noted the state's threshold for pursuing a potential presidential disaster declaration is just over $5 million, making the plant repair estimate a significant portion of that trigger number. Matt said life-safety issues are largely resolved but river flooding along the Biloxi and Wolf Rivers remains and many areas are barricaded for public safety.
On sheltering and mass care, Matt said one Red Cross-managed shelter at the Social Security Shelter was housing 25 people and that additional residents were staying temporarily with friends, family or in hotels. He recommended bringing in a shower trailer because the shelter has only a single shower and no laundry facilities; the board discussed septic capacity and the possibility of adding a bathroom trailer if shelter population rises.
Matt described ongoing damage-assessment work using the statewide "crisis track" mapping system shared with cities and the state, and said teams from GIS and code departments were assisting the emergency office. Early, partial counts put the number of homes that experienced water ingress at about 200, with a substantial share above the 18-inch mark that often leads to electrical and structural losses. He urged the board to allow temporary reassignment of county staff and approval of overtime to complete assessments, saying the damage reports are needed to support state and federal aid requests.
The board approved an order adjudicating the emergency proclamation and an overtime order to cover response work. Supervisors also asked staff to convene an all-stakeholders planning update at 1:00 p.m. to coordinate response and recovery efforts.
Chair closed the emergency discussion by urging patience and compassion for residents affected by the storms and said the county will continue coordinating with cities and nonprofit partners, including the Red Cross and Salvation Army, on mass-care and donations management.
What happens next: The county will continue damage assessments and convene the 1:00 p.m. planning update; staff will report back with refined damage estimates and recommendations about additional sheltering resources and procurement for any necessary trailers or emergency repairs.
