Over two months after a tornado leveled Brian Lowery’s home, he still searches through the wreckage in Tylertown, Mississippi, hoping to recover a sentimental tie clip made from his mother’s wedding band. Though he and his family made it out safely, the recovery has been slow and uncertain. Like many in his town, Lowery is still waiting on federal aid, with Mississippi’s request for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) still pending following the March storms.

The delay paints a grim picture for disaster-struck communities across the country as summer storm season ramps up. Tornadoes have already torn through Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma this week, and hurricane season is approaching. Mississippi was hit by nearly 20 tornadoes on March 14 and 15, leaving seven dead and hundreds of homes destroyed. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves formally requested a federal disaster declaration on April 1. More than a month later, there’s still no answer.

The declaration would unlock FEMA aid for residents and state agencies working to clean up and rebuild. But local officials like Royce McKee, emergency management director for Walthall County, say they’ve seen no progress. “We don’t have a declaration yet. People are still hurting,” McKee said. The county, home to Tylertown, suffered extensive damage and can no longer afford cleanup without federal support.

Lowery’s frustration is growing. “We can’t help you because, whatever, we’re waiting on a letter; we’re waiting on somebody to sign his name,” he said. “I’m just over it.”

The delays coincide with dramatic leadership changes and policy shifts within FEMA. Acting administrator Cameron Hamilton was recently removed after clashing with President Donald Trump over proposed agency reforms. Trump has called FEMA “very bureaucratic” and “very slow.” His replacement, David Richardson, has pledged to follow Trump’s lead, including proposals for states to take on more responsibility and only receive federal assistance “when deemed necessary.”

Walthall County bore the brunt of the storm with two significant tornadoes and four fatalities. McKee estimates $700,000 has already gone into cleanup, but funds have dried up. “We need federal help, and we need it desperately, and we need it now,” said local firefighter Bobby McGinnis. “I know President Trump said — America first, we’re going to help our American folks first. But we haven’t seen the federal folks down here.”

Meanwhile, other states are seeing mixed results. Arkansas received a similar disaster declaration after an appeal by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, which FEMA finally approved on May 13. Mississippi officials are hoping the same outcome will follow. “We anxiously await a positive decision,” said Scott Simmons of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

In Missouri, frustration is mounting over the slow federal response after a recent EF3 tornado tore through St. Louis on Friday. Senator Josh Hawley urged immediate action, saying, “All federal resources that can be brought to bear here should be.”

Hawley also criticized the delay in aid from a deadly March storm that killed 12 people. “We cannot wait months,” he said. “We’ve lost seven here. The scope of the damage is immense.”

In Washington, Mississippi lawmakers are pushing for answers. During a May congressional hearing, Rep. Michael Guest asked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to fast-track the state’s aid request. “It is impacting my local jurisdictions with debris cleanup,” Guest said. “It is impacting people as they seek to recover.”

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith echoed those concerns and pressed Noem about the administration’s broader vision for FEMA. Noem reiterated Trump’s desire to restructure the agency, saying states should be “empowered to do the response,” while the federal government steps in only on “their worst day.”

With the hurricane season looming, and FEMA caught between a philosophical overhaul and a real-time disaster backlog, families like the Lowerys continue to wait in the wreckage — unsure when or if the help they need will arrive.