President Biden has approved the emergency declaration that was requested by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves over the ongoing water crisis. Gov. Reeves asked that FEMA would be authorized to provide emergency measures, including direct federal assistance at 75% federal funding.
The request is the result of the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant’s failure to produce water for almost 180,000 dependent residents. Both primary pumps are broken and are currently being serviced. The governor’s office says the plant is not producing adequate water pressure and residents are experiencing outages.
The water treatment plant provides water to the city of Jackson, two major hospitals, multiple dialysis clinics and long-term care facilities, the Jackson public school district, numerous restaurants, daycares, and more. Some areas have emergency evacuations in place while shelters are also being set up.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
