Tuscaloosa News | Congressman Aderholt tours tornado-stricken area

Congressman Aderholt tours tornado-stricken area
By Jason Morton | Tuscaloosa News | August 13, 2011

TUSCALOOSA | The day after an EF4 tornado laid waste to almost six miles of Tuscaloosa, U.S. Rep. Richard Aderholt was here to see the destruction first-hand.

He said he was shocked by the devastation, which was symbolized by the empty intersection of two of the city's busiest thoroughfares — McFarland Boulevard and 15th Street.

“It was overwhelming to be here,” he said.

But on Friday, just minutes after Mayor Walt Maddox gave him a tour of the affected areas, the congressman said he was surprised to see the improvements that have occurred over the past three months.

“It's just amazing to see the progress that has taken place,” said Aderholt, R-Haleyville.

Aderholt's tour began in Alberta and then headed toward the destroyed Richard A. Curry Building at 35th Street and Kauloosa Avenue.

“I wanted to show (Aderholt) the progress, ” Maddox said. “I wanted to show the resilient spirit of the city.”

Aderholt said he came to Tuscaloosa to get an update on the progress of storm recovery and gather details on what's needed to keep aid flowing when Congress reconvenes after a five-week break.

“The mayor has given me some real good insights to take back to Washington,” Aderholt said.

Among those was a suggestion that the Federal Emergency Management Agency give more power and authority to its officials in the field to speed up the decision-making process. Aderholt said he believes people working in tornado-affected areas, be it Tuscaloosa or Joplin, Mo., know better what's needed for a specific area than those higher up the chain of command.

Aderholt also was in town to get a better understanding of an area that he will soon be representing in Congress.

Pending the approval of the U.S. Justice Department, Aderholt's 4th Congressional District will include all of Tuscaloosa County north of the Black Warrior River in 2013.

The change is part of the redistricting process that occurs every 10 years, after the tabulation of the U.S. Census. The district lines are redrawn to reflect population shifts within each state.

The congressman said he foresees no problems absorbing about half of Tuscaloosa County into the sprawling district that will stretch across the north-central area of Alabama from Mississippi to Georgia.

“I grew up in West Alabama,” Aderholt said. “I'm very familiar with this part of the state and it'll be real natural for me to represent.”

One fight he doesn't expect to wage in the coming months and years is in assisting Tuscaloosa and the other areas of Alabama affected by the April 27 storms with federal financial aid.

Aderholt said each member of Congress is sensitive to the possibility of natural disasters — be it a flood, earthquake or tornado — occurring in their home districts. Because of that, there is little resistance when it comes to helping a region recover.

“When it comes to issues (such as) rebuilding, Congress is very supportive of that,” Aderholt said.

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