Governor Kay Ivey has announced $28 million in disaster recovery grants for seven South Alabama counties still rebuilding from Hurricanes Sally and Zeta.
The funding comes through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The goal is clear: repair damage, strengthen infrastructure, and prepare communities for future storms.
Clarke, Dallas, Escambia, Marengo, Perry, Washington, and Wilcox counties will share in the awards. Baldwin County, Mobile County, and the City of Mobile received separate recovery funds last year.
Hurricanes leave marks long after the winds die down. This round of funding focuses on closing those gaps.
Bridges First on the List
Several of the largest grants target bridges damaged or exposed as vulnerable during heavy flooding.
Clarke County will receive $2.05 million to replace a bridge on County Road 15. Floodwaters revealed structural concerns that could pose problems during major storms.
Escambia County will receive $1.3 million to replace a bridge on County Road 67. Hurricane Sally damaged the structure, and engineers determined it remains susceptible to future weather events.
Washington County will receive $3 million to replace a bridge on Luke Rivers Road. The crossing over Bilbo Creek floods frequently during severe weather, sometimes shutting down traffic for days.
Bridges may look routine on a map. In practice, they connect school routes, job commutes, emergency services, and supply chains. Replacing them builds resilience into daily life.
Housing That Can Withstand the Next Storm
Washington County will also receive an additional $3 million to construct three quadplex residential buildings within the service area of the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians.
The development will create 12 storm-resilient housing units designed to replace substandard and overcrowded homes. The project centers on durability and safety, using construction methods meant to better withstand severe weather.
Strong housing reduces long-term recovery time. It also creates stability for families who have weathered repeated storms.
A Long Recovery from 2020
Hurricane Sally made landfall on the Alabama Gulf Coast in September 2020. Just weeks later, Hurricane Zeta came ashore in Louisiana before pushing through Mississippi and Alabama.
The back-to-back storms battered coastal and inland areas alike. Flooding, wind damage, and infrastructure strain reached far beyond the immediate shoreline.
Governor Ivey noted that recovery efforts continue years after the storms themselves. These grants aim to move that process forward while strengthening defenses against the next event.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will administer the funds. ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said the agency stands ready to support communities as they rebuild and reinforce critical systems.
Building Stronger Than Before
Disaster recovery often unfolds in phases. First comes cleanup. Then temporary repairs. Finally, permanent upgrades.
This round of grants reflects that final stage. Replacing vulnerable bridges. Constructing resilient housing. Improving drainage and infrastructure where needed.
The counties selected were identified by federal officials as among the most impacted. Funding prioritizes projects that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
When infrastructure improves, traffic flows more reliably. Emergency routes stay open longer. Homes stand stronger against wind and water.
The 2020 storms reshaped parts of South Alabama. The work underway now reshapes them again, this time with resilience in mind.
Recovery rarely makes headlines once debris is cleared. Yet projects like these quietly reinforce foundations across the region.
And with hurricane season never far from memory, strengthening what sits beneath roads and rooftops carries its own kind of momentum.
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