Disaster recovery news and information
Updates from the Times-Journal:
August 30. Plainview School repair estimated; see story.
August 29. Governor Bentley creates Tornado Recovery Action Council; see story.
August 25. Relief money has specific use; see story.
August 17. Long-term help available for tornado victims; see story.
August 6. Tornado victims can appeal FEMA decisions; see story.
August 3. Recovery meeting set for DeKalb forest landowners; see story.
August 1: NACC offering tuition waiver for storm victims: see story.
July 20. Recovery continues after deadline; see story.
July 12. Sand Mountain Long-Term Recovery Committee helping families in our communities; see story.
July 12. Applications for the tornado shelter/safe room grants must be turned into the DeKalb County EMA office by July 31. See the latest news.
Tornado-related events:
Rainsville Community Meeting - October 4. FEMA, the City of Rainsville, and the Rainsville long-term community recovery committee invite you to the Rainsville Community Meeting at the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center. Come learn about the Rainsville long-term recovery and sustainability plan, and share your ideas for rebuilding a better and stronger community. Download the flyer for details.
TRAC Community Forum planned for September 12. The TRAC is seeking feedback from tornado survivors, businesses leaders, and non-profit groups. Residents are encouraged to attend to share your stories from the April 2011 storms and contribute ideas for the state’s future preparedness. More.
Other info:
Storm Recovery Fund & Aid Program. The Rainsville Chamber of Commerce recently had the opportunity to help some families who lost all, or most, of their possessions in the storms. Would you like to help the Chamber help more families? INFO.
State recovery programs include a homeowner's forclosure prevention program, Hardest Hit Alabama, to help some unemployed tornado survivors meet monthly mortgage payments. Alabama homeowners who have been declared eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits may apply. To qualify, applicants must have a total annual household income of less than $75,740, and the unpaid principal balance on their home's mortgages must be less than $258,690.
Project Rebound is a federally funded initiative that groups in Alabama
have instituted when a natural disaster happens. Project Rebound teams
provide free crisis counseling for an extended time after a disaster.
Services provided in this partnership include a toll-free hotline,
community outreach and educational services and the hiring of
additional personnel to staff the state's counseling needs during these
critical times. Call 256-630-6931 or 256-399-2457.
American Red Cross provides
food, shelter, and emotional support to disaster victims. For
local information about Red Cross disaster aid, serving as a volunteer,
making
donations, or giving blood, call the DeKalb County Chapter at
256-845-0202.
In addition, many church ministries have been providing
disaster relief. Several distributed food and/or clothing, etc.
Many of these efforts have been winding down. Check with the ministries at churches such as the Rainsville Church of
God, Rainsville FIrst Baptist, or Broadway Baptist Church.
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department
(256-845-3801) operated a relief distribution center for water and
non-perishable food items, and other needed items that had been
donated.
The Upper Sand Mountain Parish
of the United Methodist Church is a local organization that aided
victims in the affected areas of DeKalb and Jackson County, as
well.