Ahead of Sally, Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for Alabama
Earlier this morning, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration that Gov. Kay Ivey set forth yesterday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will supply federal aid for Alabama, if necessary, after Hurricane Sally makes its way through the state this week.
This aid is meant to "supplement state, tribal and local response efforts to the emergency conditions in the area affected by Hurricane Sally beginning on Sept. 14, 2020, and continuing," according to a FEMA press release.
In case of a disaster, FEMA is granted the authority to facilitate physical and financial aid to communities in Alabama after the storm. Title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes this measure, indicating its mission is to "save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe."
Should residents need public assistance, FEMA will cover 75% of the costs associated with the equipment and resources that are used. The state will cover the difference.
Yesterday, Ivey ordered that all beaches must close at 3 p.m. Monday and began evacuation measures for south Alabamians. This came after declaring an early Monday state of emergency for Alabama in anticipation of the storm's arrival.
Here are the counties and tribes for which assistance is granted:
- Autauga
- Baldwin
- Barbour
- Bibb
- Blount
- Bullock
- Butler
- Calhoun
- Chambers
- Cherokee
- Chilton
- Choctaw
- Clarke
- Clay
- Cleburne
- Coffee
- Conecuh
- Coosa
- Covington
- Crenshaw
- Dale
- Dallas
- Elmore
- Escambia
- Etowah
- Geneva
- Greene
- Hale
- Henry
- Houston
- Jefferson
- Lee
- Lowndes
- Macon
- Marengo
- Mobile
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Perry
- Pickens
- Pike
- Randolph
- Russell
- Shelby
- St. Clair
- Sumter
- Talladega
- Tallapoosa
- Tuscaloosa
- Washington
- Wilcox
- Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Hurricane Sally continues to creep through the Mississippi Delta and is expected to make landfall this evening. Alabama will be directly affected starting Wednesday and could experience severe weather through the end of the work week.
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