Clanton—The Alabama Emergency Management Agency has received reports of minor to major damage in nearly a dozen counties following the December 25th severe weather outbreak. Today Director Faulkner is assessing some of the hardest hit areas to determine the needs of the communities. The National Weather Service has also deployed their teams to determine the classification and/or the extent of the damage.  The counties reporting damage are as follows:

Governor Robert Bentley on Monday announced that a team from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency is now in New York assisting with the ongoing recovery from Superstorm Sandy.

The nine-person Incident Management Team is beginning a 14-day mission supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  Team members were sent because of their experience in disaster response, including hurricane-specific recovery operations.  The team also has experience with the National Incident Management System.

“The Alabama Emergency Management Agency has the skills and experience needed to help communities recover,” Governor Bentley said.  “The team that is now in New York will make a tremendous and lasting impact.  Their work will be a benefit to everyone involved in the long-term recovery.  Alabama stands ready to help other states in any way we can.”

The Alabama EMA team will be initially deployed to the Joint Field Office in Queens, NY.&nbs

The Alabama Department of Public Health recommends all families in areas that may be affected by Hurricane Isaac take health and safety precautions.

State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson urges Alabamians to listen and follow warnings communicated through the news media.

Food Safety
Power outages prompt concerns about the safety of frozen and refrigerated foods. As a general rule, a full upright or chest freezer will keep foods frozen for about two days without power.

A partially full freezer will keep foods frozen for about one day. This time may be extended by keeping the door shut. A refrigerator will keep foods cool for four to six hours if the door is kept closed as much as possible.

Any thawed foods that have been at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. Foods still containing ice crystals can be refrozen, although the quality of the food may decrease.