The homeland security secretary said a report that thousands of calls to a disaster hotline went unanswered because of staffing cuts was “false.”

Scott Simmons, director of external affairs at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the National Weather Service has officially downgraded Invest 93 as of Wednesday afternoon. However, Miss-Lou residents are being warned about dangerous heat stress on Wednesday.

The July Fourth flood moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system.

Two days after deadly Texas floods, the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because of call center contracts that weren’t extended.

FEMA said the determinations, which may include additions or modifications of Base Flood Elevations, base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, or regulatory floodways on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps have been made final for the following Mississippi communities:.

FEMA records show Kerr County officials did not use FEMA’s system to send warnings to phones in the critical hours as the flooding began on July 4.

Deadly flash flooding in Central Texas has put other states on high alert when it comes to finding preventative measures for potential natural disasters. U.S.

In the past, the federal government, through FEMA, has also responded. But now the Federal Emergency Management Agency is threatened by an administration that wants to overhaul it. President Trump has said he wants to “fix a terribly broken system” by shifting emergency disaster response to the backs of the states.

A fire at a Mississippi Gulf Coast oil refinery injured four workers on Monday. According to company officials, the fire occurred shortly after 8 a.m. An incident at the refinery’s wastewater treatment area apparently led to the fire.

MISSISSIPPI - Flood zone changes could impact insurance rates and building rules in multiple Mississippi communities.