US Department of Labor provides grant to assist Mississippi with recovery efforts following Hurricane Isaac

WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a $3 million National Emergency Grant to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security that will fund temporary jobs for cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Isaac, which resulted in widespread storm damage across the state.

"Hurricane Isaac's path of destruction was far-reaching, and communities in Mississippi are among those significantly impacted by this storm," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The people of Mississippi are not in this recovery process alone. This federal funding will provide critical assistance to support the tremendous cleanup efforts already underway."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency declared 48 counties and one Indian reservation eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance Program: Adams, Amite, Attala, Carroll, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, Yazoo and the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Reservation. Additional counties may be included at a later date. More information on designated disaster areas in Mississippi is available from FEMA at http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4081/affected-counties.

Of the $3 million announced today, $1 million will be released initially. Additional funding up to the amount approved will be made available as the state demonstrates a continued need for assistance.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information, visit http://www.doleta.gov/NEG/.