Terri Sewell urges Donald Trump to approve major disaster declaration for areas affected by Isaias

Rep. Terri Sewell is urging that President Donald Trump sign off on major disaster declaration for counties that were affected by Hurricane Isaias in early October. 

Sewell and other members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Trump calling on him to allocate additional federal resources for recovery.

“For the past two weeks, Alabamians have joined together to assist their neighbors with supplies and donations,” Sewell said. “Our emergency managers, first responders, and volunteers are doing all they can with the resources available, but the widespread damage created by Hurricane Isaias cannot be reasonably managed without additional federal support.”

She cited the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 § 401 stating in part that: "All requests for a declaration by the president that a major disaster exists shall be made by the governor of the affected state."

The move is supported by Gov. Kay Ivey, who is asking that assistance is provided for Conecuh, Escambia, and Monroe Counties and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; public assistance, including direct federal assistance, for Baldwin, Barbour, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Sumter, Washington, and Wilcox Counties; and hazard mitigation statewide.