Governor Haley Barbour and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker are strongly urging the federal government to help Mississippi recover from damage caused by Hurricane Gustav.

The Magnolia state received help for debris removal and emergency preparedness for three southern Mississippi counties in a preliminary emergency declaration, but as of Friday, no counties had received any federal help in the aftermath of the storm.

Governor Barbour and Sen. Wicker are pleading for financial help for 20 Mississippi counties feeling the affects of Gustav. Downed trees, power lines and flooding throughout the state left thousands without power.

If approved by President Bush, the funds would help provide aid for emergency services agencies and for repair of damaged public facilities.

MEMA tells FOX 40 News that FEMA's disaster assessment teams are touring affected areas and will base damage estimates on severity of damage and impact on affected areas.

The Governor's Office and Sen. Wicker's office confirm that they have yet to receive word from President Bush on the aid request.

"These things can take time, they don't happen over night," said Jordan Stoick, communications director for Sen. Wicker.

FOX 40 News toured damaged areas with Sen. Wicker Wednesday. He told FOX 40 News that, "We'll do what we need to do, I think we're entitled to it under the law."

Sen. Wicker sent a letter to FEMA Wednesday in hopes of helping expedite the process.

"It's not unusual for these kinds of things to take time," Sen. Wicker's spokesperson added.