By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Wednesday, Governor Robert Bentley announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had awarded that state a $12.9 million Disaster Case Management Grant to help Alabamians continue the long-term recovery process from the April 2011 tornadoes.
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said, “Since last year’s storms, we have worked continuously to help people across this state. I remain encouraged by the strength and resiliency of the people of Alabama, and this grant will allow us to continue our efforts to help people rebuild their lives.” “As more people complete their recovery, our communities can be restored stronger than ever. We remain committed to using every resource we have available to help our state rebuild.”
Jon Mason, director of the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said, “This grant will allow disaster case management to continue for a longer period of time in order to meet the needs that we still see in so many communities. This is a unique program, and we are excited to be able to offer it to people who are working hard to restore what was lost in the storms.”
The Governor’s written statement said: “Survivors in communities across the state still face a variety of unmet needs. Those needs include rebuilding and construction costs that were not fully covered by insurance, the replacement of certain possessions, and more. With this grant, disaster case managers can assess individual needs and work with storm survivors to outline a goal-oriented plan for their recovery.”
Survivors of the April 27th storm with unmet, disaster related needs can access disaster case management services, even after receiving state and federal disaster assistance. This program is being administered by The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which is headed by Jon Mason.
Earlier in the week Governor Bentley said, “Just seeing the date of April 27 on the calendar conjures up strong emotions among Alabamians. It is my hope that the memorial events planned across the state next week will bring some comfort to families who lost loved ones and to those who are still on the difficult road to recovery.”
On April 27th 253 Alabama residents were killed when 62 long track tornados swept across Alabama striking 43 of Alabama’s 67 counties. An Alabama state flag representing every person killed in the tornadoes are being displayed on the grounds of the Capitol this week.
Governor Robert Bentley will participate in a prayer service observing the one year anniversary of the tornados Friday, April 27, 2012 at 9:00 am on the Alabama State Capitol steps.
To read Governor Bentley’s Press Release in its entirety:
http://governor.alabama.gov/news/news_detail.aspx?ID=6388
