Storms cost county $1.4 million
Six months after severe thunderstorms that produced a tornado and damaging straight-line winds wreaked havoc on Lafayette County, some families are still rebuilding. According to FEMA, more than $171,000 was given to local individuals through grants and low-income loans. The storms cost Lafayette County $1.4 million, according to officials. (October 31, 2011, Page 1A)
Storm recovery efforts continue
The newly formed LOU Recovery Organization worked on bylaws and policies and procedures during its quarterly meeting Thursday at the Oxford-University Methodist Church. (October 7, 2011, Page 1A)
Censorship, not controversial art, is in bad taste
The business of using ideology to deny people and programs much-needed money is, local columnist Deidra Jackson writes, getting old. Jackson brings the issue from the national stage with FEMA to locally with the Board of Supervisors pulling funding for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. (October 6, 2011, Page 4)
Storm victims face Tuesday deadline
The last day for victims of the April 27th storms to register for federal assistance is Tuesday. So far, in Lafayette County, 191 people have registered for help. (June 27, 2011, Page 1)
Being prepared
The city of Oxford is hoping to be awarded a $750,000 grant from FEMA toward the construction of an emergency operations center. (June 8, 2011, Page 1A)
Community begins to rebuild
The storms on April 27 — one month ago today — destroyed 18 homes and damaged hundreds of other homes and businesses around the county. The neighborhoods of Pine Flat, Yocona and north Oxford are rebuilding as the community joins together to help form a new long-term recovery group. (May 27, 2011, Page 1A, 8A)
Directions to the road to recovery
Around 70 to 80 people gathered at Pine Flat United Methodist Church Wednesday night to take part in a community meeting dealing with recovery efforts from the EF-3 tornado and straight-line winds that struck Lafayette County on April 27. Officials discussed ways to contact and file claims with FEMA officials, as well as ways to handle debris left by the violent storm. (May 5, 2011, Page 1)
Quake threat real
Officials from MEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local emergency managers from surrounding counties, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other emergency response agencies have been attending the Earthquake Mid-Term Planning Conference this week in Oxford to discuss the state’s preparedness for earthquakes and the threats posed to north Mississippi as part of Earthquake Awareness Week. (January 21, 2011, Page 1A, 5A)
State flood map changes to be adopted November
The City of Oxford is preparing for new flood plain maps to be adopted on Nov. 26 which also will change the flood plain administrator to the city building official. Most of the maps will have no change as the city was currently up-to-date. (August 30, 2010, Page 1A)
Katrina left some positive marks on Oxford
Five years ago Sunday, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast, New Orleans and surrounding Gulf areas, killing about 2,000 and displacing more than 250,000 people from their homes.
In Oxford, evacuees flooded local hotels and bunked in with family and friends. Law enforcement and emergency management officials say things ran smoothly due to having emergency plans in place. (August 27, 2010, Page 1A)
