Alabama Town to Get $840K for Delayed Demolition Work

Federal officials say they’ll provide an Alabama town with $840,000 to fund the long-delayed demolition of buildings that were badly damaged in the 2011 tornado outbreak.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the grant will cover 90 percent of the cost of demolishing what’s left of downtown Cordova, which was hit by two twisters in the April 27 onslaught.

But it could still be weeks before any work begins in the Walker County city of 2,100 people.

Officials say concerns over the historical significance of the damaged buildings resulted in delays in federal funding approval.

Town officials say FEMA kept seeking more photos and documentation while other cities hit by twisters were already rebuilding. The agency says it was only doing its job.

The tornadoes killed about 250 people statewide.