May 1st, 2011
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Author: BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured areas of ravaged Pratt City Sunday, promising support and relief to local residents while also offering her condolences.
“I had the opportunity to walk a few of these streets and I don’t think words can fairly express the level of devastation. I’m not articulate enough,” she said. “But what I felt was a tremendous sense of community resilience.”
Also with Napolitano was Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, who said housing will be the “single most critical part of recovery.”
While officials are still surveying the damage of Wednesday’s storms to find out exactly how many houses were destroyed, HUD has set up a rapid-response unit to make short-term repairs on damaged homes quickly.
“If somebody doesn’t have to move out of their house, that is preferable,” he said.
Officials also are finding available rental housing for those displaced by the storms and will offer rental assistance, he said.
Birmingham Mayor William Bell thanked Napolitano and the federal government for their support. He said federal officials called him within 30 minutes of the storm hitting.
“It’s brought us all together, regardless of party affiliations,” he said. “And we want to thank them for being ‘Johnny on the spot’ from the beginning.”
Complete coverage of the April 27, 2011 storms
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