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Chairman Bachus: Alabama To Receive $55 million In Funding To Rebuild After Tornadoes

Washington, Jan 19 -

Alabama will receive $55 million in disaster relief funding to help achieve long-term recovery, restore housing and infrastructure, and promote economic revitalization, said Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide community development block grant (CDBG) funding to the city of Tuscaloosa in the amount of $16.634 million, Jefferson County in the amount of  $7.84 million, and the City of Birmingham in the amount of $6.386 million. The remaining money will be allocated by the state to counties which sustained damage from natural disasters. The state is required to spend 80% of this amount in four targeted counties:  DeKalb, Tuscaloosa, Marion, and Jefferson. HUD will provide information to the affected localities tomorrow morning.

Chairman Bachus said, “This is another step in our efforts to rebuild after last year’s devastating tornadoes.  With this funding many in Alabama will have the resources needed to reconstruct their homes or businesses.” 

A bill signed into law last November provided HUD with $400 million in CDBG funding for states and cities impacted by natural disasters.

“Our hope is that these funds will help our severely impacted communities achieve a successful recovery,” said Bachus.

Bachus has led efforts to ensure federal resources were available for emergency response and recovery efforts in Alabama. Last year, the Financial Services Committee approved a bill authored by Bachus to provide residents of manufactured homes with NOAA weather radios so they can receive earlier storm warnings. Bachus also authored a bill to prevent the removal or demolition of storm shelters built to protect school children in Alabama.  Another bill authored by Chairman Bachus, the Tornado Shelters Act, was signed into law in 2003 and allows communities to use CDBG funds to build tornado shelters.