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News Filed Under Disaster Response

Two men tie barbed wire around a fence post.
April 14, 2023 - Filed Under: Disaster Response, Disaster Relief, Disaster Recovery

EGYPT, Miss. -- On hot days, Robert Thompson’s beef cows used to retreat to a cluster of trees in the middle of his pasture for shade.

The 24-head herd will have to cool down elsewhere now as two towering brush and limb piles have replaced the resting area. Clearing a new place for the cows is one of many tasks facing Thompson after an EF-3 tornado chewed through the 18-acre grazing area in Monroe County during a March 25 severe weather outbreak.

Stressed-out man with head in his hands.
April 3, 2023 - Filed Under: Health and Wellness, Disaster Response, Mental Health First Aid

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- After natural disasters, food and shelter are prioritized well above mental health, but ignoring emotional distress can lead to serious physical health conditions.

November 4, 2022 - Filed Under: CERT, Disaster Response

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension program coordinator will serve as chair of the Extension Disaster Education Network, EDEN, for a two-year term.

A man stands on crutches in silhouette against a background of farm equipment.
August 16, 2022 - Filed Under: Disaster Response, Food and Health, Health, The PROMISE Initiative, Prescription Opioid Misuse, Mental Health First Aid, Farm Stress, Rural Health

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The rollout of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers more hope to individuals dealing with mental-health-related distress. That population includes farmers and farm workers, who are among those most at risk for suicide and mental health distress.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male agricultural workers have the fourth highest suicide rate among men in all industries. 

Water stands in a corn field
June 24, 2021 - Filed Under: Crops, Corn, Cotton, Soybeans, Disaster Response

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- MSU Extension agents will be assessing agricultural damage from early-June flooding until well into July, but preliminary estimates indicate losses could break records.

The 2019 Yazoo Backwater Area flood caused $617 million in crop damage alone. It looks like the more recent flood will exceed those losses.

Heavy rainfall, primarily north of U.S. Highway 82, throughout the second week of June waterlogged crops during critical growth stages. Flooding caused complete or partial losses in many fields.