Federal funds will be made available to 39 counties in Alabama to assist with state and local recovery efforts following a severe storm that brought flooding, tornados and straight-line winds to the state in late December.

The declaration, signed by President Barack Obama, makes federal funding available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding in Autauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston counties.

Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire State of Alabama.

Elizabeth Turner has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Turner said additional designations might be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.