The city of Mobile and Baldwin and Mobile counties have received grant awards of $1 million each as precursors to larger awards for long-term recovery efforts from Hurricanes Sally and Zeta that struck Alabama in 2020, Gov. Kay Ivey announced.
The latest awards under the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program will enable the two counties and the city of Mobile to assess remaining damages and unmet needs.
The three governments will each submit recovery action plans to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Once those plans are accepted, the additional funds will be released.
“Hurricanes Sally and Zeta created a lot of damage to our coastal areas and other parts of Alabama from which many counties, cities, towns and residents have yet to fully recover,” Ivey said. “This program will bring some closure and relief for people whose lives were affected by these storms.”
CDBG recovery funds resulting from the hurricanes will also be issued later to Clarke, Dallas, Escambia, Marengo, Perry, Washington and Wilcox counties which were also designated by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as most impacted by the hurricanes.
The plans are expected to address the needs of low-income homeowners and landlords with rental homes while also assisting with infrastructure and economic development projects along with projects to help minimize damage from future storms.
Minus the $1 million for the plans, Baldwin County is scheduled to be awarded $43.3 million; Mobile County $27.3 million; and the city of Mobile $53.1 million.
Hurricane Sally made landfall on Sept. 15, 2020 between Mobile and Pensacola with the center being near Gulf Shores. Hurricane Zeta made landfall on Oct. 29, 2020 in Louisiana and continued into Mississippi and Alabama.
ADECA, which has conducted several public hearings on the disaster relief funding, will administer the grants from funds made available to the state by HUD. The agency is also managing the Home Recovery Alabama Program from the recovery funds to help homeowners in the nine counties repair, reconstruct or replace single-family homes that suffered damaged from one or both storms.
“ADECA is pleased to have been on forefront of this disaster relief, and we will continue to play an active role throughout the grant process to help these communities fully recover,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
