Governor Kay Ivey has announced the federal government has approved Alabama’s request for an emergency disaster declaration because of Hurricane Sally.

The governor had requested Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security expedite the state’s request for a disaster declaration before Sally makes landfall.

As of 7:00 Tuesday morning, Hurricane Sally was about 105 miles south-southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, and slowing moving to the northwest.

The White House announced the decision to approve the declaration Monday night, shortly after 10:00. 

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures.

One Assistance Category will provide emergency protective measures – including direct Federal assistance – for Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jefferson, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Washington, and Wilcox Counties and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Another Assistance Category will provide emergency protective measures – limited to the direct Federal assistance plans – for Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Walker, and Winston Counties.

(AL.COM/www.al.com)