Officials: City damaged by tornado won’t get federal funds

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - Officials say a Mississippi city recently hit by a tornado won’t get state or federal funding to help repair related damages.

WTVA-TV reports Tupelo leaders announced Thursday that victims of the tornado, rated EF-2 on the enhanced Fujita scale, won’t receive funding from state or federal emergency management agencies.

Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis says the damage isn’t considered a disaster. A twister with top winds of 115 mph (185 kph) struck in Pontotoc County last week, traveling through parts of Lee County and Tupelo.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says three homes in Tupelo were destroyed, seven had major damage and 27 had minor damage. An assisted living center near city limits was also damaged, forcing residents to evacuate. Residents are now at a nearby hotel while it’s repaired.

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Information from: WTVA-TV, http://www.wtva.com