NEWS RELEASE
DATE: February 21, 2020 TIME: 12:30 PM
CONTACTS :
Deborah L. Gaither Shane Ellison dgaither@cityofgadsden.com sellison@etowahcounty.org
Officials Declare a Local State of Emergency
Gadsden, AL –The Etowah County Commission, in conjunction with GECEMA, signed a local declaration today. This order affects all municipalities located within Etowah County. The reason for this declaration relates to the flooding and immense amount of rain the county has seen since February 4th, 2020. According to records, portions of Etowah County have seen as much as 13.60 inches of rain since February 4th. Because this large amount of rain has fallen in a relatively short period of time, the ground has not had a chance to absorb much of the runoff from rivers, tributaries, and streams. Bridges have washed away; culverts and pipes are gone; and repairs can and have not been able to be made.
The Gadsden/Etowah County Emergency Management Agency has reached out to local government and municipal partners to begin determining the effects the flooding has produced in the county. These damage assessments will be ongoing so the information can be passed along to the State of Alabama Emergency Management Agency. All municipal leaders and governmental agencies are encouraged to contact the EMA if resources or personnel were utilized to make emergency repairs due to flooding. “It is important for the State to have an accurate picture of the amount of damage present in our county,” said Etowah County Commission Chairman Jeffery Washington.
Citizens are urged to contact the GECEMA with reports of flooding impacts they may have experienced – especially those related to agriculture or livestock losses. The EMA can be reached via email at ema@cityofgadsden.com.
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