Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)

Hurricanes Sally and Zeta

Hurricanes Sally and Zeta caused significant damage in Baldwin County, Alabama, in 2020. Hurricane Sally, a Category 2 storm, made landfall on September 16, 2020, bringing torrential rain and sustained winds of 105 mph, resulting in over 30 inches of rain and extensive flooding in some areas. The storm surge and heavy rainfall led to widespread inundation of damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

In Baldwin County, thousands of residents were left without power for days, and debris cleanup took weeks. Economic losses in the county were estimated in the hundreds of millions, with significant impacts on the local tourism and fishing industries.

Hurricane Zeta, a fast-moving Category 2 storm, struck on October 28, 2020, with winds up to 110 mph that uprooted trees, downed power lines, and damaged buildings. Power outages affected tens of thousands of residents, some for up to a week. The rapid succession of these two hurricanes compounded the recovery efforts, placing a significant strain on local resources and recovery operations.

Purpose of the Local Recovery Plan

On February 3, 2022, and May 24, 2022, Congress allocated a total of $501,252,000 in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant funds to the State of Alabama for the purpose of assisting in long-term recovery from Hurricanes Sally and Zeta.

CDBG-DR funds are overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered by state governments and agencies. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) will administer the grant funds at the state level and publish an Action Plan describing how it will implement programs.

Since Baldwin County experienced some of the greatest impacts from the storms, the Baldwin County Commission has been allocated $43,361,686 in CDBG-DR funding from ADECA through a subaward. Baldwin County will utilize CDBG-DR funds to implement a wide range of housing, infrastructure, economic development, and mitigation activities that will further recovery efforts and increase resilience to future storms across the county.

ADECA established the Local Recovery Planning Program (LRPP) to support local governments in developing Local Recovery Plans (LRPs) to help jurisdictions plan for efficient, equitable, and compliant recovery activities.

Baldwin County is currently developing the LRP, which will identify storm impacts and unmet needs in our communities and propose recovery and mitigation activities that benefit impacted areas.

The County anticipates completing a draft of the Local Recovery Plan in July 2024. The draft will be published on this website along with information about how to submit feedback during the public comment period. The County will issue a public notice and announcements to alert the public that the draft Plan is available for review and comment.

This webpage provides information related to the development of Baldwin County’s Local Recovery Plan:

Timeline and important dates
Community engagement initiatives, including many opportunities for Baldwin County residents and stakeholders to get involved
The draft and final Baldwin County Local Recovery Plan
Updates on the programs and projects that will be supported by LRP/CDBG-DR funds
Procurement information and requirements

Local Recovery Plan (LRP) Timeline

A timeline of Baldwin County’s LRP Planning Process is available below. The timeline will be updated with the most recent information as it becomes available.

June – July 2024: Prepare draft Local Recovery Plan (LRP)
July 19, 2024: Draft Local Recovery Plan (LRP) available for public comment (30 days)
July/August 2024: Public meetings will be held in Bay Minette and Foley
September 3, 2024: Presentation of Local Recovery Plan (LRP) to County Commissioners
September 18, 2024: Submit final Local Recovery Plan (LRP) to ADECA

Federal Register

The Federal Register provides guidance through published notices on HUD program requirements to state and local governments for the CDBG-DR allocation.