Clarksdale, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has announced an investment of nearly $10 million for DRA communities involved in major disaster declarations issued over the past two years. Provided through the Supplemental Disaster Recovery Funding (SDRF) program, five communities in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee will receive funding to advance recovery efforts and build long-term resilience.
“Through the Supplemental Disaster Recovery Fund, DRA is providing much-needed support to hard-hit communities across the Delta region that are still recovering from recent natural disasters,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, Federal Co-Chairman. “This investment, totaling more than $9.8 million, will help accelerate recovery efforts and strengthen community preparedness for future weather-related events.”
Funded through the American Relief Act of 2025, the SDRF makes targeted infrastructure investments in communities across DRA’s 255 counties and parishes that were affected by federally declared disasters occurring between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. Awards ranged from $500,000 to $2 million for basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and flood control projects.
SDRF award recipients include:
Alabama
City of Selma was awarded approximately $2 million to address infrastructure challenges in its Old Town Historic District as a result of an EF-2 tornado in January 2023. Funds will be used to address citywide infrastructure damage and drainage failure to create safer, more accessible corridors in one of Selma’s most devastated disaster recovery zones.
City of Selma was awarded approximately $2 million to rehabilitate road infrastructure in West Selma severely damaged by an EF-2 tornado in 2023. Funds will be used to restore transportation mobility, reduce flood hazards, and improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles throughout the disaster-affected community.
City of York was awarded more than $1.8 million to repair, replace and upgrade its sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure affected by weather-related occurrences, including flooding, to enhance quality of life for residents and to attract future business development.
Mississippi
Sharkey County was awarded $2 million to improve critical road infrastructure along three corridors that sustained severe structural failure, drainage collapse and erosion following an EF-4 tornado in March 2023. Funds will be used to address immediate safety hazards, restore vehicular and emergency access, and implement long-term resiliency upgrades to protect against future natural disasters.
Missouri
Carter County was awarded more than $1 million to replace extensive infrastructure damage caused by reoccurring flood and flash-flooding events in 2024. Funds will be used to improve structural integrity, enhance stormwater management, and increase infrastructure resilience against future flood events, making roadways safer and passable.
Tennessee
City of Ripley was awarded more than $850,000 to replace two lift stations damaged by the flooding of Beaty Creek in March 2023, making provisions for modern equipment that will enhance system reliability, reduce maintenance costs and improve resiliency.
For more information about the SDRF program, visit www.dra.gov. For questions about the program, email sedap.cif@dra.gov.
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