HUD will provide mortgage relief and other support to homeowners and low-income renters forced out of their homes due to the tornado in Lee County, Alabama.

Lee County, located on the eastern line of the state, encountered the fatal tornadoes last week that took the lives of 23 people.

According to USA Today, a 17-year-old boy helped save several lives with his handy chain-saw competency. He cut out an escape for two women who were trapped in the storm-stricken rubble of their home. Meteorologist Chris Darden reported that the tornado that hit Lee County was a mile wide and got up to 170 mph in wind speed.

Read the USA Today article here

Among the types of relief provided by HUD are:

• Immediate foreclosure relief
• Mortgage insurance made available
• Insurance for both mortgages and home rehabilitation made available
• Information on housing providers and HUD programs made available

These provisions from HUD are offered as a result of the incident being declared a major disaster.

Read the full press release from HUD here