On Tuesday, FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks will be in Alabama to meet with state and local officials about the ongoing response and recovery efforts following the devastating tornadoes that swept across the state last week.
Hooks will travel to Autauga and Dallas counties to survey the devastation caused by Thursday’s storms.
President Joe Biden declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas of Dallas and Autauga Counties affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes on January 12, 2023.
On Tuesday afternoon Congresswoman Terri Sewell will join the Deputy Administrator for a press conference. They will be joined by Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Smitherman, Selma Mayor James Perkins, Jr., Dallas County Emergency Management Director Toya Stiles-Crusoe, Autauga County Emergency Management Director Ernie Baggott, as well as local leaders and officials.
“While the destruction impacting Selma and the Black Belt is widespread, our community is nothing if not strong and resilient,” Sewell said in a statement. “I’m confident that with the close coordination of federal, state, and local partners, we will be able to secure the necessary resources to build our community back better and stronger than before.”
Individuals in Dallas and Autauga Counties can apply for disaster assistance with FEMA at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Autauga and Dallas. Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has named Kevin A. Wallace, Sr. as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
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