City of Mobile assessing storm damage, moving forward with repairs

May 6th, 2014

MOBILE, Ala. - Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Tuesday that the City of Mobile is continuing to assess damage from last week's severe storms and flooding while moving forward with repairs caused by the weather outbreak.

Stimpson said the City is working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as Mobile County and the State of Alabama to determine if the county will be eligible for federal disaster assistance.

"Homes, bridges and streets across the City of Mobile suffered significant damage as a result of the storms," Stimpson said. "We are continuing to conduct damage assessments to determine if we will qualify for federal aid. Meanwhile, we are committed to meeting the needs of our citizens as quickly as possible."

Governor Robert Bentley on Saturday announced that Alabama received approval for federal disaster assistance in response to severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding that moved across the state.

Mobile County was not among the five counties that initially qualified to apply for federal aid, but could be added to the disaster declaration depending on the extent of damage.

Significant damage reports include:

McGregor Avenue - Road/pipe failure that must be completely reconstructed. Initial cost is estimated at $100,000 to $125,000 with repairs expected to be completed in approximately four weeks.

Girby Road - Road/culvert failure that must be completely reconstructed. Initial cost is estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 with repairs expected to be completed in approximately three months.

Museum Drive - Road/sidewalk failure caused by washout. Initial cost is estimated at $80,000 to $100,000 with repairs expected to be completed in six weeks.

Numerous other sites are still being evaluated across the City and will require additional capital funding for repair.

In addition, all of the city's critical bridges are currently being inspected by engineering consultants. No major issues have been identified so far but the City will continue to monitor them.

Stimpson on Tuesday asked the Mobile City Council to approve emergency funding for the Girby Road and McGregor Avenue projects. He also asked the council to authorize the City's Engineering Department to accept emergency bids and forego advertising, a move that will help speed repair work on the two projects.

"Mobile is continuing to recover and we appreciate the support of our citizens, employees and state and federal partners in the weeks ahead," Stimpson said. "Not only will we rebuild, but we will come back stronger and more resilient than we were before the storms."

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