President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Alabama on Sunday, following the deadly tornadoes that swept through the state on January 12th. The tornadoes killed at least nine people and caused widespread destruction, leaving thousands without power. In response to the disaster, the President ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the affected areas.
The disaster declaration makes federal funding available to individuals and businesses in the counties of Autauga and Dallas. This assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help those affected recover from the disaster. Federal funding is also available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Autauga and Dallas, as well as hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), named Kevin A. Wallace, Sr. as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Damage assessments are ongoing, and additional areas may be designated for assistance once the assessments are completed.
Those affected by the tornadoes can apply for assistance by visiting www.DisasterAssistance.gov, calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or using the FEMA app. Individuals using relay services such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service can also provide their service number to FEMA.