On Jan. 17, Representative Ed Oliver and Tallapoosa County Emergency Management Agency Director Jason Moran held a briefing on the storm damage with Representative Nathaniel Ledbetter, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives.
Among the state officials, members of Alexander City government including Mayor Woody Baird and fire Chief Reese McAlister were also in attendance as well as county officials such as Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbott.
Baird said a lot of damage was done to the houses on the lake such as by the River Bend area. The mayor said the city was unfortunate with no reported deaths and nine individuals who reported to the ER.
Moran said when they went to survey the storm last Friday they saw a lot of neighbors who loved helping one another.
“We have been hit hard. We have been here before in different situations and probably we will suffer one of these again,” he said.
He said he would like to thank the county commission, the Tallapoosa Baptist Association, United Way, the Salvation Army, Flint Hill Methodist Church, Red Cross and any other organization involved in helping with the recovery process.
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Country Layfield, executive director of Lake Martin United Way, said they serve both Coosa and Tallapoosa County. She said they have received five reports for help from Coosa County and six from Tallapoosa County to 2-1-1.
“That’s just what was reported to 2-1-1. There are obviously a lot more affected homes, just based off the numbers they [the EMA] has given,” Layfield said. “We’ve set up a fund to help from a recovery standpoint and we are partnering with several other of our agencies as well.”
The briefing was originally going to be a tour of storm damage in the River Bend area, but persistent rain Tuesday afternoon forced a change of plans.
After the briefing concluded, Baird asked Ledbetter if he had any questions.
“No, I’m impressed. You guys are doing a great job,” Ledbetter said. “I know it has been hard. It has been tough. I applaud the effort of you guys. It is a team effort. You have a long way to go and this is just the beginning. Just know that we are ready to help, however we can. We’re praying for your community and we will continue to do so.”
Abigail Murphy is a multimedia reporter for Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc. To contact Abigail Murphy, email abigail.murphy@alexcityoutlook.com.
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