Survival Kits Offer Hope during Alabama Shelter Shortage

Imagine hearing the most terrifying wind you’ve ever heard—roaring, whipping winds battering your house. Before you know it, a tornado has ripped through your town. Your home, your car—almost all of your belongings are gone. You and your loved ones survived, though. That’s all that matters. But now comes the hard part: finding shelter, regrouping, and rebuilding.

Unfortunately, though, a number of individuals in Alabama can’t regroup or rebuild because they can’t find shelter.

According to FEMA over 30,000 people, many of whom are struggling to find temporary housing, have registered for help. Even in more populated areas like Tuscaloosa, there aren’t enough existing structures and hotels to house the homeless. This has left a number of people stuck in their tornado-ravaged homes.

In response to the shortage of shelter, FEMA and the Red Cross are taking action. FEMA has reportedly approved about $9.5 million in grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and uninsured losses. The Red Cross has assisted victims of these deadly storms by distributing disaster kits and survival gear to victims. These survival kits contain everything from food and water to sanitation supplies and important family documents.

Over the past couple weeks, the public eye has darted from one staggering headline to the next. First the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, then the destructive tornadoes in the southern states, and now all eyes seem to be on the death of Osama Bin Laden. However, as our attention shifts from one headline to the next, it’s easy to forget the people left behind. With entire cities displaced and nuclear disaster looming over their heads, Japan has hardly begun to pick up the pieces. And while millions of Americans celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden, thousands of others fight to regain control of their lives after massive tornadoes flipped them upside down. Luckily, though, this isn’t a fight that has to be won alone.