JACKSON- As Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, the State Auditor’s Office has distributed the Emergency Accountability Plan to all local governments in South Mississippi.

The document outlines procedures to make emergency purchases as well as procedures during recovery once the storm has passed. This document is essential to local governments in making decisions during an emergency that are allowed under state law while allowing flexibility to manage the aftermath of the emergency.

“Our office learned many important lessons during and following Hurricane Katrina. We developed this plan to assist our local governments in their decision-making process following any natural disaster,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering.

In addition to the Emergency Accountability Plan, staff in the Technical Assistance Division is also available to assist local governments during this State of Emergency. These individuals will be available at 1-800-321-1275 beginning Monday, Sept. 1.

On Friday, State Auditor Pickering and his wife, Whitney, made the decision not to attend the Republican National Convention due to the threat the Hurricane poses.  “At a time like this, my responsibilities to my family, neighbors and those most affected by Gustav outweigh my participation in the Convention,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “Our priority is to everyone here in Mississippi, and we wish Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin all the best at this year’s Convention.”

The Emergency Accountability Plan can be found at: http://www.osa.ms.gov/downloads/emergency-accountability-plan.pdf.

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