Audit of Hurricane Kateina Activities for Jackson County, MS, Public Assistance ID No. 059-99059-00,

Office of Inspector General U.S. Department of Homeland Security Eastern Region Office of Emergency Management Oversight 10 Tenth Street, Suite 750 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 Homeland Security February 13, 2008 MEMORANDUM FOR: Sidney Melton, Director FEMA's Mississippi Tr7i7J;Oi?~ C. David Kimble, Director FROM: Eastern Regional Office SUBJECT: Audit ofHurricane Katrina Activities for Jackson County, Mississippi Public Assistance Identification Number: 059-99059-00 FEMA Disaster Number 1604-DR-MS Report Number DA-08-05 We performed an audit of disaster costs associated with Hurricane Katrina activities for Jackson County, Mississippi. The objective ofthe audit was to determine whether the county was properly accounting for disaster-related costs and whether such costs were eligible for funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance programs. As ofJanuary 3,2007, the cut-off date ofour review, the county received an award of$52.7 million from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), a FEMA grantee, for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and other disaster-related activities. The award provided for 46 large projects and 158 small projects'. We reviewed costs totaling $34.3 million under 6 large projects. The audit covered the period August 29,2005, to January 3,2007, during which the county received $29.5 million ofFEMA funds under the 6 large projects (see Exhibit). We performed the audit ...