On the night of May 6, a series of powerful tornadoes tore through southwest Mississippi (1).
By the time the sun came up, families in Lincoln County were stepping into the rubble of what used to be their homes. Among them were two brothers from the Wash Trailer Park in the small community of Bogue Chitto, one of whom watched his home get completely destroyed.
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That morning, one of the brothers described the shock of facing homelessness again. “I can say this for a fact, coming from experiencing homelessness a few times in the past, it’s definitely devastating,” Dwayne Donaldson told WLBT3 (2). “And hopefully it’ll shake me better for the future.”
Despite everything, both brothers said they were grateful to still have each other.
According to CBS News, at least 14 tornadoes were reported across Mississippi that night, with hundreds of homes damaged and power knocked out across multiple counties (3). Bogue Chitto was among the hardest-hit areas (4).
The insurance question — especially for mobile home residents
For anyone whose home is destroyed in a tornado, the first financial call to make is to your insurance company. The second, if you’re unsure what your policy covers, is to your state insurance department.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recommends that disaster survivors contact their state insurance department for guidance on claims and coverage questions (5).
According to United Policyholders, although insurance funds are the “fastest and best source of repair and rebuild funds” for disaster-impacted households, many mobile and manufactured homeowners find themselves underinsured, and most policies exclude flood damage entirely, which must be purchased separately (6).
Federal assistance: What’s available and how to access it
When insurance falls short or doesn’t exist, federal programs may be able to help, depending on whether a major disaster declaration is issued for the affected areas, FEMA confirms (7). Once a declaration is in place, survivors can apply for assistance through FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone or in person (8).
The U.S. Small Business Administration also offers low-interest disaster loans (9) for homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits — a program that many survivors overlook because the “small business” name suggests it isn’t relevant to individuals. It is.
