Latest Alabama Headlines
All the headlines from our Alabama Topic Page, ordered by recency.
States Hit Hardest by Recent Tornadoes Among Least Insured
May 27 2011 // Many of the states hammered by what’s already the deadliest year for tornadoes in more than half a century have among the nation’s highest rates of homes without hazard insurance despite being among the most...
FEMA Criticized for Letters to Alabama Storm Victims
May 23 2011 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has provided grants to about 15 percent of the more than 72,000 people who sought assistance after tornadoes killed hundreds across Alabama last month, but twice as...
April’s Tornadoes Destroyed, Damaged 14,000 Alabama Homes
May 19 2011 // The swarm of tornadoes that killed more than 230 people across Alabama last month destroyed or heavily damaged more than 13,000 homes statewide and will smash the record set by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 to become the...
Court Sides with Alabama Newspaper over Public Official’s Libel Claim
May 18 2011 // An Alabama appeals court has ruled in favor of an Anniston newspaper that was sued by a city councilman who claimed he was libeled in a story published in February 2009. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals upheld a lower...
April Tornadoes Likely to be Alabama’s Costliest Ever Disaster
May 12 2011 // The April 27 tornado outbreak will likely end up being Alabama’s most costly natural disaster. Gov. Robert Bentley and state Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling said the catastrophe modeling company AIR Worldwide...
Alabama Insurers Receiving Steady Stream of Storm Claims
May 11 2011 // Alabama residents who suffered severe losses due to a series of storms that swept through the Southeast last month have already filed over 65,000 storms, according to an estimate by state officials. Alabama Governor Robert...
Alabama Offices to Replace Drivers’ Licenses Lost in Tornadoes
May 11 2011 // The state Department of Public Safety is opening offices in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham to help Alabamians whose driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards were lost in the tornadoes April 27. The offices...
AIR Estimates Recent Severe Storm Losses at $5.5B
May 9 2011 // Insured loss estimates from the storms that hit the Southern and Southeastern United States in late April total between $3.7 billion and $5.5 billion, says catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide. Insured losses account...
42 Alabama Counties Now Approved for Disaster Aid
May 9 2011 // Monroe County has been approved for federal disaster aid, which brings the total number of Alabama counties covered to 42. Assistance is available to households and businesses as part of Alabama’s federal disaster...
Official: Alabama Storm Damage Could Near $2B
May 6 2011 // Damage from Alabama’s deadly tornadoes could approach the state’s record of $2 billion from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Alabama’s insurance commissioner said. Insurance commissioner Jim Ridling said early...
Damage Estimated in Billions as Insurers Work to Pay Claims
May 4 2011 // Officials, insurers and residents are starting the daunting task of assessing and cleaning up the damage from the massive storm system that hit the Southeast as the amount of insured losses is heading into the billions of...
17 Alabama Counties Now Qualify for Federal Storm Aid
May 2 2011 // The federal Emergency Management Agency says 17 Alabama counties now qualify for disaster assistance to homes and businesses damaged by tornadoes and storms. FEMA added seven counties to the list Sunday. They are Autauga,...
Alabama Windpool Growing
May 2 2011 // The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, known as the windpool, grew by a third between February 2010 and February 2011 with its total policy count rising from 15,214 policies to 20,350 policies. Bob Groves, manager...
Obama, Cabinet Vow Urgent Aid for Storm-Battered Southern States
May 1 2011 // Federal officials vowed urgent support Sunday for a region devastated by the deadliest U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina, even as they acknowledged recovery would not be quick or easy. President Barack...
Officials, Insurers Begin Tallying Damages from Deadly Storm
Apr 29 2011 // Officials in Southeast states hammered by a storm that killed at least 300 people have begun the task of evaluating the damage. Alabama appears to have suffered the brunt of the storm, where Tornadoes struck particularly...
Tornadoes, Storms Rip South, at Least 228 Dead
Apr 28 2011 // Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven southern U.S. states, killing at least 228 people as they flattened neighborhoods, flipped cars and toppled trees and power lines. In the deadliest series of tornadoes in...
Alabama Boosts Tax Break for Small Businesses Buying Health Insurance
Apr 25 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed legislation increasing the state income tax deduction that small businesses get for supplying health insurance for their employees. The new law applies to the current tax year....
Alabama Insurance Pool Grows As Private Market Shrinks
Apr 11 2011 // More Alabama homeowners are seeking their insurance coverage through the state’s windpool as the trend of private insurers shedding their wind policies continues. The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, known...
Alabama Governor to Form Coastal Insurance Panel
Apr 7 2011 // Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is creating a commission to address the rising cost of insurance for the state’s coastal homeowners. Bentley said the commission will be asked to make recommendations on how to make...
Alabama House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving
Apr 4 2011 // The Alabama House is making a second attempt to ban texting while driving The House voted 86-2 last Thursday for legislation sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim McClendon of Springville. He got a similar bill passed last...
