The EF-3 tornado touched down on March 19 on the JSU campus, and severe storms on March 19 and 20 caused significant damage in Calhoun, Cullman, Etowah and St. Clair counties.
The tornado caused an estimated $70 million in damages to the campus and surrounding areas, and damaged 50 of 70 structures on the JSU campus.
The university plans to demolish Merrill Hall and rebuild it.
FEMA issued a news release Thursday announcing the grant, which is being provided through the agency's public assistance program. Through this program, FEMA can reimburse eligible applicants for up to 75 percent of the costs taken to recover from a natural disaster. Remaining costs must be covered by non-federal sources.
The funding will be administered through the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, which will distribute the funds following its review process and upon receipt of appropriate documents from the school.
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