By Carmen Rodgers
Elmore/Autauga News
Officials with FEMA declared Autauga and Dallas Counties disaster areas earlier this week. Now, Elmore County has been added to the list.
“The State EMA, the Governor’s Office did a great job,” Autauga County EMA Director Ernie Baggett said.
According to Baggett, residents who were affected by the tornado should contact FEMA and register for assistance. There is a 60-day window of opportunity to register with the emergency management agency.
“Register with FEMA,” Baggett said. “We only have 60-days. The clock is already ticking for us in Autauga County. Everyone has to be registered. The FEMA representatives are here to help us. They were on the ground all day yesterday. They had the rescue squad taking them door-to-door to make sure we didn’t miss any of our citizens.”
Baggett says it is important to reach every residence that was impacted by the tornado.
“We are trying our very best to do that,” he said.
There will soon be assistance from other counties in the State to help with cleanup efforts in the area.
“We’re working now to bring in assistance from Jefferson County, and we are working through the process, and making sure all the needed requirements are met. We are looking at the early part of next week for them (Jefferson County) to come in and help us do that,” Baggett said.
This cleanup effort is a massive undertaking and, even with help from other counties in the state, it will take time, patience, and understanding.
“We are a week into this. For some people we are already a week into this, and for others we are just a week into this,” Baggett said. “Not rushing into this is better because we will be able to capture the debris, the majority of it, on that first run-through, rather than just continually trying to loop through and clean an area up.”
With temporary assistance on the way, the County’s strategy is to clean up the debris in the most effective manner possible.
“People want to see their area get cleaned and it be left clean,” Baggett said. “I know it seems like a delay but is not an intentional delay.”
In addition to assistance from FEMA, citizens in Autauga, Elmore and Dallas counties that were impacted by the tornado can also reach out to CrisisCleanup.org., a non-profit organization that is actively assisting in cleanup efforts in Alabama and Georgia. The organization is also sending assistance to California to aid those who were impacted by heavy rains there. Crisis Clean up can be reached at www.crisiscleanup.org or by calling 334-209-2003.
Storm victims can also call 211 to access other available resources.
“If you need assistance on your property, please, reach out to one of those, let them know what your need is, so we can match that up with people who are volunteering to help,” Baggett said. “There are resources available, and we are working to get those resource to where they need to be.”
Baggett reminds everyone that even if you apply for assistance and are denied, it could be something as simple as clerical mistake, and you should reapply.
“A denial doesn’t mean you will not get help from FEMA,” Baggett said. “A denial means that that particular piece of paper was denied because it didn’t meet all of the necessary requirements. If that happens, reapply.”
Lastly, Baggett says representatives with FEMA will always have an official badge is in plain sight and will never ask for bank account information or money.
