It has been three months since two tornadoes struck Lee County, and according to State Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn), there is still work to do.
However, those efforts got a big boost when Congress finally passed a $19.1 billion disaster relief package, which will not only help Lee County but other disaster-stricken areas around the country, including southeastern Alabama, which was hit by Hurricane Michael last year.
In an appearance on Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Wednesday, Whatley applauded Congress for getting the federal funding passed, but also told listeners that there will still be a need for help in the weeks and months to come.
“It’s good to have that federal piece in place,” Whatley said on “The Jeff Poor Show.” “It was disappointing the Democrats held that hostage for so long because there are many people, not just in Lee County but other areas that needed the help. The biggest thing I tell folks when this first happened is that we’re going to need help now, but also we’re going to need it in two and three months. And that’s where we’re at now.”
The Lee County Republican offered examples of where help is needed, including in the interiors of homes that were damaged by the March tornados.
“We’ve got people’s houses that have been prepared with things still inside of them like the roof will have been put on, but the carpet and not been taken up and the drywall had not been replaced,” he said. “You’ve got some significant mold issues, just to give you some examples. There’s still plenty of work to do, plenty of things to do that people can help with in the area.”
“And of course, we appreciate the outpouring of support from around the nation right after the event happened,” he continued. “But it’s still an ongoing recovery effort, and I’m glad we’ve got some dollars coming down that people can use because we had many people that were underinsured or not insured.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.