Alabama Residents Get Help to Build Storm Shelters

Residents of several Alabama communities ravaged by last year’s tornadoes are completing storm shelters with some help from federal money.

The Florence TimesDaily reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved 100 individual shelters for Franklin County with the promise that it would cover 75 percent of the cost of the shelter, as long as 75 percent of the cost did not exceed $4,000.

Yasamie August, an Alabama Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman, says Marion County was approved for 97 individual shelters, Lauderdale County was approved for 116 shelters and Colbert County was approved for 12.

Statewide, FEMA has approved 2,522 individual shelters and received 4,464 applications for shelter assistance.