NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Board of Aldermen has hired contractors to pick up Natchez residents’ debris from last week’s disastrous winter storm.
While no timetable was discussed during Thursday’s board meeting, Mayor Dan Gibson said the cleanup is being fast-tracked as Natchez remains in a city-declared emergency with downed trees and limbs and other storm damage-related hazards.
Residents are being asked to pile up their tree debris as close as possible to their properties’ streets curbs. Construction debris can also be placed in separate piles to be hauled away. There are no size restrictions on what will be hauled away, according to a report presented Thursday to Gibson and Natchez aldermen.
Natchez and its residents face a massive cleanup job and costly repairs after the Feb. 17 ice storm caused trees and water pipes to break and widespread structural damage that included leaking and collapsed roofs.
City officials contracted two south Mississippi-based companies experienced in disaster-recovery work to do the clean up and accounting of how much is hauled away. The mayor expressed confidence the city will be reimbursed by state and federal governments for the costs.
Gibson said early estimates show Natchez and Adams County suffered at least $1.5 million in damages, which the mayor said shows the city and county should qualify to receive state and federal funds for the storm-recovery effort. Gibson pointed to the considerable damage to trees, structures, roads and the city’s water-sewer system.
City water was deemed safe to drink Tuesday after lab tests showed Natchez’ water system had recovered from getting drained by broken pipes and leaks. A boil-water alert had been imposed Feb. 17, after the frigid temperatures and icy precipitation crippled the city.
In addition to hiring the Mississippi debris-removal companies from Columbia and Picayune, Gibson and Natchez aldermen have contracted an Arkansas-based company to help assess the ice storm’s devastation and navigate the process for getting reimbursed for the clean-up costs.
Natchez-Adams County officials are also encouraging people with property damage — such as from ice-laden, leaky roofs and broken trees – to file an online report with the county or phone the county emergency management office. Go to
https://www.adamscountyms.net or https://www.crisistrack.com/public/adamsMS/request.html or telephone 601 442-7021.
The individual reports will help the county add up total amounts to be used as the federal government decides whether private property owners can be eligible for federal disaster-recovery funds. Even property owners covered by insurance should report their damage to the county.
While it’s uncertain how fast the storm mess will be picked up from city streets, Gibson expressed hopes Natchez will look better when more tourists come to town for the annual Spring Pilgrimage that starts March 13.
He did say a community clean-up day might be set March 6 for volunteers to come out in droves to help residents gather their debris to be placed on curbsides to be hauled away.
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