Preparation and reflection are the secrets to disaster response, and it all starts with a plan. Jody Thompson, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System aquatic resources outreach administrator, is helping municipalities move from reaction to preparedness. Thompson works one-on-one with vulnerable communities in south Alabama counties to prepare for threats including hurricanes, floods, sea level rise, and stormwater concerns.
To accomplish this, Thompson uses a suite of tools to provide information to cities and towns in need of guidance. These critical resources identify areas that a municipality is performing well in and also where there can be improvements. One self-assessment tool for disaster response is the Coastal Resilience Index (CRI). This free document is a product of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Thanks to the leadership and work from Thompson, community leaders on Alabama’s coast are taking the necessary steps to plan and protect their communities.
Building Coastal Resilience
Alabama Extension is helping municipalities prepare, respond, and recover from disasters.
- Hurricanes, floods, and manufactured disasters cause major economic impacts.
- In 2020, the United States had 20 hazard events causing billion-dollar damage.
- Hurricane Michael in 2018 cost Alabama more than $200 million in damage.
- Nearly 40% of the US population lives in a coastal county.
- Property and infrastructure damage, business and tourism disruption, higher insurance premiums, and agriculture and forestry losses affect Alabama’s economy.
Building community resilience requires government, community, and private sector collaboration.
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Alabama Cooperative Extension System educators are always looking for new and unique ways to provide resources that help improve the lives of Alabama residents. When Janice Hall, the county Extension coordinator for Macon County, saw a need to educate senior citizens in her community on Medicare and Medicaid, she partnered with local groups to bring a new twist to senior-citizen education.
Through the Let’s Celebrate and Educate: Preparing for the Future program, Hall and the Macon County Extension office celebrates residents ages 55 and up with a traditional birthday party. In addition to the party festivities, Hall invites medical and legal experts to talk to the seniors about many of the topics that affect those living in their golden years. Thanks to Hall’s leadership, Macon County senior citizens now have an avenue to get out of the house, have some fun, and learn more about all of the resources that are available to them.
Celebrate & Educate
Alabama Extension Helps Seniors Prepare for the Future.
- Medicaid & Medicare information
- Free legal aid: wills, power of attorney, advance health directives
- Free health screening by AU & Tuskegee Colleges of Nursing
- Handy medical record notebooks
- Statewide resources for diabetes, financial literacy, identity theft, independent living, and more for seniors.
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Through a network of county offices, urban centers, diagnostic labs, and more, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a friendly face in all 67 counties, ready to serve you. You can think of a county office as your frontline access to the county and statewide resources that Alabama Extension offers. These resources include educational materials on a variety of topics, in-person programs and activities and even connections to other supporting institutions. No matter your issue or question, there is someone in a county Extension office that can help find the answer.
One of the best examples of this type of help can be found in Morgan County. When you walk through the doors of the Morgan County Extension office, you will meet the friendly face of Norma Gardner, the administrative support associate for the office. With her signature smile and warm personality, she is there to welcome you and help you find what you are looking for. For Gardner, she said her calling is service. She loves having the opportunity to help people in her community and welcome them to the office.
A Friendly Face in Every County
No matter where you go, whether it is a county office, research center, or any other Extension location, you will meet a friendly face, eager to help answer your questions.
- 67 county offices
- 3 satellite offices
- 9 urban centers
- 3 diagnostic labs
- 15 Extension centers
- 600+ employees
Extending Knowledge, Improving Lives
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The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is committed to creating healthy, profitable, and sustainable forests in Alabama. Adam Maggard, an Alabama Extension forestry specialist, is doing his part by making connections with forestland owners to better understand their goals and objectives and then providing education and resources to help them accomplish those goals.
From an early age, Maggard witnessed firsthand the impact Extension has on forestland owners in terms of education and assistance. Now, through his Extension programs, Maggard is making impacts of his own. Through the Forest Business Resources project, Alabama Extension looks to enhance the livelihoods of forestland owners by improving forest management, business practices, and increased opportunities for producing income. Thanks to Maggard’s work as the project’s leader, Forest Business Resources made a direct estimated impact of $4.3 million in 2022. This impact came in the form of improved forestland value, recovered loss, economic development, and financial decision-making based on information learned through the project.
Extension Promotes Forestland Health & Wealth
Forest Business Resources Program: Working Directly with Landowners
- Business management and planning
- Forest resources education
- Key topics: market trends, supplemental income opportunities, portable sawmilling, forest products, decision-making
Alabama Forestry Facts
- $28 billion economic output
- 71% of land forested
- Third in timberland among contiguous states; second in private timberland
- 93% privately owned, largely by families
In the News
- Alabama’s Forests: Clearing the Air
- 2023 Alabama Timber Market Update
- Alabama Extension’s Maggard Honored as National Extension Forester of the Year