GENEVA | RICKEY STOKES NEWS
The City of Geneva is continuing to rebuild “brick by brick” after a powerful January tornado tore through the community, leaving widespread destruction in its path.
On Friday, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Kenneth Boswell toured the storm damage and announced a $300,000 commitment to assist with recovery efforts.
“I’m here and ready to commit $300,000 toward the damages as we’ve seen today, to help Mayor Hayes get the city back in order how he needs it to be,” Boswell said. “Obviously no one ever plans for a storm or any type of activities of this nature. And we want to make sure we do everything we can do to alleviate that pain.”
The storm, confirmed as an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 115 miles per hour, left visible scars across Geneva. Bricks remain scattered along downtown streets, trees crashed into homes, and rooftops were ripped away.
State and local leaders walked through the damaged areas Friday morning, including the collapsed remains of a former historic hotel and residential neighborhoods where debris still rests on damaged structures.
Mayor David B. Hayes said support from state officials was immediate.
“The night the tornado hit, Senator Chastain was on the phone with me the whole night,” Hayes said.
Donnie Chesteen praised the way Geneva residents responded in the aftermath.
“I think that’s what small-town America’s all about,” Chesteen said.
The ADECA funds will go toward storm cleanup, debris removal and structural repairs, helping accelerate the city’s recovery process.
“We’re so blessed to have a team like this behind me, here today to go over what happened in this town and be supportive of what’s going on. It’s a good day for us,” Hayes said.
But city leaders say the true strength of Geneva lies in its people.
“Many times you don’t even know who they are. But they know you need some help and they’re there to help,” Chesteen said.
Hayes added that Geneva’s history of hurricanes and floods has only strengthened the town’s unity.
“In a small town like this, any time that you have something devastating, people do come together and respond. And we’re thankful that we have that unity here,” Hayes said.
With state support, help from Alabama Power, and the determination of its residents, Geneva continues rebuilding — one brick at a time.
