NATCHEZ, Miss. – City water is now safe to drink after lab tests showed Natchez’ water system has recovered from getting drained by broken pipes and leaks during last week’s ice storm.
“It’s been an overwhelming situation,” said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson, who announced Tuesday evening that the city’s precautionary boil-water alert has been lifted. It was imposed Feb. 17, when frigid temperatures and icy precipitation crippled the city.
The city’s water crisis and power outages have been resolved, but Natchez and its residents face a massive cleanup job and costly repairs after the winter storm caused trees and water pipes to break and widespread structural damage.
The city is contracting an Arkansas-based company to help assess the ice storm’s devastation and estimate the costs of recovery — including picking up residents’ storm debris — with hopes federal funds will be forthcoming.
Last week’s ice storm caused “extensive damage to this community. This is very expensive damage,” Gibson said.
The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to contract ER Assist Inc. to help the city document what the winter calamity did to Natchez and help navigate the process for seeking state and federal funds to pay for cleanup and repairs. Gibson said city leaders will join with Adams County officials to assess the widespread damage so they can maximize the amount of money the community receives to help pay for the recovery expenses.
In addition to hiring special disaster-assessment personnel, Gibson said the city will contract workers to collect the piles of tree limbs and other storm debris that residents are being asked to gather from their properties and place on street curbs.
The city’s Public Works Department doesn’t have enough employees and equipment to do this job, the mayor said, but “We will get the manpower we need and we’ll get it done. The goal is it will be done quickly and it will not cost the city. Ultimately, we will be reimbursed dollar for dollar” by state and federal governments.
Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford has encouraged people with ice-storm property damage — such as from leaky roofs and broken trees – to file an online report with the county:
Or
https://www.crisistrack.com/public/adamsMS/request.html
This will help the city and county as it seeks federal disaster-recovery funds. Even property owners covered by insurance should report their damage. The damage report form also includes information for debris removal.
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