In a video shared Tuesday afternoon by Attorney General Steve Marshall, President Donald Trump delivered a message directly to the people of east Alabama affected by Sunday’s devastating tornadoes.
Speaking from the White House this week to a group from the National Association of Attorneys General, the president expressed his sympathies and made clear that the federal government would be fully supporting local disaster recovery and relief needs.
“America has [your] backs… We’re with you 100 percent. 100 percent, we’ll be there,” Trump said.
Watch:
President Trump asked me to pass along this message to the people of Alabama affected by the devastating tornadoes that hit our state this past weekend: “America has your backs. We’re with you one hundred percent. One hundred percent, we’ll be there.” pic.twitter.com/ny8M7qS5D8
— AG Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) March 5, 2019
Tuesday evening, in response to Governor Kay Ivey’s request, Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Lee County.
The declaration triggered the release of federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Program to help affected people and communities recover from the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred in the southeastern part of the Yellowhammer State.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
In a statement, Ivey praised the president for his “unwavering support” for the people of Alabama.
“President Trump has been very gracious and pledged his unwavering support to Alabama since the devastating storms and tornadoes struck Alabama over the weekend. Twenty-three lives were lost and dozens of Alabamians were injured,” Ivey said. “This is a difficult time for the state of Alabama, but knowing that we have this additional assistance, and the support of our president and folks across the country, we will get through this together. We will recover, and we will lift up Lee County in this time of need.”
Trump is set to visit tornado victims in east Alabama on Friday and survey affected areas.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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