Crews have not ceased working to restore power and to clear roads after the winter storm blanketed Mississippi in thick ice. These men and women form the front lines of our state’s exemplary disaster relief efforts. They act as liaisons between community members and staff at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). After that storm, it was clear that local officials are best positioned to meet urgent local issues. That action gives Mississippi officials access to additional FEMA resources as they work to bring power back online and to remove debris.