JASPER COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) – Residents in Jasper County are frustrated because storm debris from the March 14-15 tornado outbreak has not been cleared.

Piles of downed trees and limbs line the roads in the Lake Eddins community. Neighbors said it’s a safety hazard that’s attracting animals and covering waterlines.

“The trees are starting to rot. It’s going to be harder to pick up because they’re going to fall to pieces. And I’m sure there are animals that have nested inside of there. We have a lot of nature out here. We have deer, raccoons, and every kind of animal you can imagine. So, I’m sure all that’s in there, plus I don’t want to talk about snakes, but I’m sure there’s some up there in there, too,” said Cindi Starnes, a Lake Eddins resident.

The county was denied aid from the federal government, leaving local officials to cover the cleanup costs. The Jasper County Board of Supervisors agreed to pay for removal, but they don’t have a designated dump site. Supervisors said they proposed a location to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) months ago, but they have not heard back.

“If we don’t hear from DEQ, we can talk to the contractor and see if we can get another site, possibly. But you’ve got to understand, when you’re hauling debris, it costs more to haul it any distance at all. And so, it may be prohibitive for us to clean that project. And I can’t help that. I wish we could. We got arrangements made to do it, but it makes it cost-prohibitive because it’s all on Jasper County. We’ve got no federal help,” said William Ruffin, Board Attorney for Jasper County.

WJTV 12 News reached out to MDEQ. The agency said, “We are in the process of finalizing the sitting criteria for review process for the proposed location. Once the review is complete, we expect to finalize approval quickly.”