Greene, Hale counties on ‘speedy road to recovery’ after latest storm damage

Jan. 12 was a day many in Hale and Greene counties will remember, as it was the last day their lives were untouched by devastating storms.

Eutaw was hit by three tornadoes in the past year, but Eutaw city official Corey Martin said the city is now on a speedy road to recovery.

“The city of Eutaw is dealing merely with vegetative debris removal at this point. That’s going to be trees and limbs that were damaged. We’ve got most of the stuff off the right of way,” said Martin.

Thursday, March 16, was the last day for anyone affected by the Jan 12 storms to apply for FEMA relief.

Hale County EMA Director Russell Weeden said most affected Hale County residents applied before the deadline.

“I know today’s the last day to register with FEMA. As far as I know everybody has done that who had any kind of damage. The debris is being picked up. Hopefully we will have all the debris picked up by the end of this week,” said Weeden.

Hale County residents said they were in constant communication with FEMA in order to receive financial help from the storm damage.

For more FEMA related information:

• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline is open, and help is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov 
• Download the free FEMA mobile app for smartphones
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). To find the closest center, go online to: fema.gov/drc.

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to, youtube.com/watch?v= WZGpWI2RCNw

When applying, homeowners and renters will need:

• A current phone number where you can be contacted
• Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
• Your Social Security Number
• A general list of damage and losses
• Banking information if you choose direct deposit
• If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

If you are unable to locate important documents, FEMA will help you to identify other ways to verify your information.

Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.

For information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4684. Follow FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.