Repton Hurricane Isaias Recovery: Conecuh County Town Hopes State, Federal Aid Reaches Uninsured Homeowners

REPTON, Ala. — Two weeks after Hurricane Isaias tore through south Alabama, the small Conecuh County town of Repton is still digging out, and residents say they are counting on state and federal help to close the gap that local volunteers cannot fill on their own.

Along Alabama Highway 41, the main route into town, traffic has been slowed so Alabama Department of Transportation crews can clear storm debris from the right of way. Inside town, the damage is still easy to see. One of the most striking examples is the former Carter Hospital building, where the storm lifted the roof and slammed it back down in pieces.

For longtime residents, the comparison that comes to mind is Hurricane Ivan, the 2004 storm that remains a benchmark for destruction across the region. Former Repton Mayor Terri Carter said Isaias, in her view, went beyond even that.

“It’s never been this bad. Ivan was very bad for us, and I honestly believe that this was worse than Hurricane Ivan,” Carter said.

State senator’s office steps in

Carter said community leaders have been in contact with Alabama Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger, the highest-ranking member of the state Senate. According to Carter, additional resources were expected to begin arriving in Repton this week as a result of that outreach.

She described the town as moving from the emergency stage into a longer, slower stretch of recovery.

“We’re going into the cleanup and rebuild phase. Most people have gotten everything away from their homes, but he has made it possible for us to have some more help cleaning up,” Carter said.

That shift matters in a place like Repton. In the first days after a hurricane, the focus is on safety: clearing roads, checking on neighbors, getting people fed and making sure no one is trapped or injured. Once debris has been pushed to the curb and the immediate danger has passed, the work becomes about hauling material away, repairing roofs and walls, and figuring out how families will pay for what insurance does not cover.

Homes, a trailer and poultry houses damaged

The damage in and around Repton was not limited to one building. A mobile home in the area was cut in half by the storm. Several industrial chicken houses, a common sight in rural south Alabama where poultry is an important part of the farm economy, also took a beating.

Local groups moved quickly after the storm to make sure people had food and a safe place to be. But residents and volunteers say the scale of the damage is larger than what a small town can handle by itself, which is why many are now looking to Montgomery and Washington for help.

Volunteer fire department says the need is real

The Repton Volunteer Fire Department has been one of the most visible sources of help since the storm. Haleigh Bartlett, who is with the department, said she believes federal aid will make a meaningful difference for people who have lost their homes.

“I am hopeful and optimistic that it’s going to come through because it will help fill the gap for what our fire department can’t fill. I do think that it will be a good thing for people who have lost their homes and are in need of assistance, because what we are seeing is people are struggling,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett said there is a limit to what a volunteer department can do, no matter how hard its members work. The biggest need, she said, is among people who did not have insurance on their homes.

“The gap that we can’t fill would be taking care of those uninsured homeowners that need assistance,” Bartlett said.

Uninsured and underinsured homeowners are often the hardest hit after a disaster. Without a policy to pay for repairs, families may have to rely on savings, loans, help from churches and charities, or government programs. In small rural communities, where incomes are often modest and older homes are common, that gap can be especially wide.

Where the federal request stands

Gov. Kay Ivey has asked the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a federal Major Disaster Declaration covering counties damaged by Hurricane Isaias, and Conecuh County is among the counties included in the state’s request. If approved, a major disaster declaration can open two main types of help.

• Public Assistance reimburses eligible storm-related costs for local governments and certain nonprofit organizations, such as debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to public infrastructure.
• Individual Assistance can provide direct financial help to eligible residents whose homes were damaged, which is the kind of aid Bartlett and others in Repton are hoping will reach uninsured homeowners.

A declaration is not automatic. The process begins with local and state damage assessments, in which emergency management teams document losses, and those findings are submitted by the governor for FEMA’s review. FEMA and the White House then decide whether the damage meets the thresholds needed to approve federal programs. Until that decision is made, residents cannot apply for Individual Assistance under a major disaster declaration.

What residents can do now

While Repton waits on a decision, emergency management officials generally advise storm-affected residents to take steps that will make any future aid application easier. Those steps include:

• Taking clear photographs or video of all damage to homes, vehicles, outbuildings and personal property before making permanent repairs.
• Keeping receipts for cleanup supplies, temporary repairs, hotel stays, tree removal and other storm-related expenses.
• Contacting an insurance company as soon as possible, if a home is insured, and keeping a record of claim numbers and conversations.
• Reporting damage to the county emergency management agency so it can be included in local damage counts.
• Watching for official announcements from FEMA, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and Conecuh County about whether aid has been approved and how to apply.

Residents should also be cautious about anyone going door to door promising disaster aid or asking for payment to help with an application. FEMA does not charge for applying for assistance, and official inspectors carry identification.

A small town’s long road

Repton is one of the smallest incorporated towns in Conecuh County, a largely rural county in south-central Alabama between Monroe and Escambia counties. Communities of its size usually have limited budgets and staff, and they often depend heavily on volunteer fire departments, churches and neighbors after a disaster. That makes outside help from the state and federal government especially important when damage is widespread.

Hurricane Isaias left damage across a large part of south Alabama, from the coast in Baldwin and Mobile counties to inland communities in Escambia, Monroe, Clarke, Washington, Conecuh and other counties. The storm brought widespread power outages, roof damage and trees down on homes and roads. Inland towns like Repton, far from the beaches, are a reminder that hurricane winds can stay strong well after landfall.

For now, the people of Repton are doing what they can with what they have. Debris is being hauled away. Volunteers are still helping neighbors. And community leaders are working the phones to make sure Montgomery and Washington know what happened in their corner of Conecuh County.

“What we are seeing is people are struggling,” Bartlett said, summing up the concern that has driven the town’s push for help.

Carter, who led the town as mayor, said the support already promised through the state Senate leader’s office is a start. Whether federal aid follows will depend on decisions still to come.

Key facts

• Location: Repton, Conecuh County, Alabama
• Storm: Hurricane Isaias, about two weeks ago
• Visible damage: roof torn from the former Carter Hospital building; a mobile home split in half; damaged industrial chicken houses; debris along Highway 41
• State help: Former Mayor Terri Carter said Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger helped secure added cleanup resources expected this week
• Federal help: Gov. Kay Ivey has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from FEMA; residents hope Individual Assistance will reach uninsured homeowners
• Biggest unmet need: help for uninsured homeowners, according to the Repton Volunteer Fire Department

Residents who need help or want to report damage should contact the Conecuh County Emergency Management Agency. Updates on any federal declaration will be posted by FEMA and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.