PLEASANT GROVE, ALABAMA (AP) -- President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration for Alabama to help residents clean up the devastation left by killer tornadoes and flooding.
More than 200 people were killed in Wednesday's twister outbreak and several counties have major destruction.
Thursday's declaration means federal aid will be available to those who seek it.
The counties named in the declaration are Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marshall, Tuscaloosa and Walker.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments.
President Barack Obama plans to visit Tuscaloosa, Alabama today, where Wednesday's storms seem to have hit the hardest.
Thirty-six people were killed in the city, including two University of Alabama students.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
