Crews and volunteers who are helping local tornado victims have been impressed by the very citizens they are trying to help.

Maria Gabel, manager of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) post stationed in Fultondale, said Fultondale is “a fantastic city.”

Gabel has assisted in numerous disasters all over the country. She said Monday she was amazed at how city leaders have worked with state, federal and local agencies to get help for the people and businesses of Fultondale.

“They work as a team with EMA (Emergency Management Agency) and the state. They have been just incredible with their assistance,” said Gabel, who lives in Mobile.

The FEMA station is set up in the Ashley Furniture parking lot in Fultondale’s Promenade Shopping Center. It is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Gabel said FEMA staff is available to help storm victims with housing, personal property loss, transportation and other needs. As of Monday afternoon, 172 people had registered with FEMA in Fultondale. She was unable to say how long FEMA would be open in the city.

There is also a FEMA operation in Warrior, in the former National Guard Armory on Cane Creek Road, that is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Set up across from FEMA in Fultondale is the Alabama National Guard 208th Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear (CBRN) Company, of Oneonta.

Lt. John Morgan said the unit is working with FEMA and other agencies to run a distribution point, where soldiers are handing out free water, tarps, ice and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat, or pre-packaged food).

Morgan said he has been impressed that most citizens are taking only what they need and are turning down supplies they do not need. Volunteers have provided food and other needs for the soldiers.

Morgan said the unit is on a volunteer mission: No soldiers were required to show up, but 41 were there Monday and 48 were there this weekend.

“Over half of us have houses damaged with no power,” said Morgan.

Morgan was unable to say how long the distribution point would be open, but he said the unit would be there at least through this week.

“We’ll stay as long as people need the help,” Morgan said.

Also set up with FEMA is the U.S. Small Business Association, which provides various loans for privately-owned businesses that have been affected by disasters.

At the Fultondale Post Office, employees with the Gardendale and Fultondale post offices set up a tent out front on Saturday to give away supplies.

Gardendale postal employees Emily Perez and Helen Dean, who are sisters, took up money on Friday from Gardendale Post Office employees to help buy water for Fultondale residents. Their sister Angie Wright is a mail carrier for Fultondale.

On Saturday, they and other employees from the Gardendale and Fultondale post offices took a half pallet of water to the post office in Fultondale and set up shop on the corner to give the water away.

By Monday, the operation had expanded to food and personal hygiene items — and they had more water than they started out with. Fultondale residents themselves kept adding to the provisions.

They and other volunteers closed down the give-away Monday afternoon and Dean took the remaining supplies to tornado victims in Tuscaloosa.

Dean wanted to let Fultondale residents know that the Fultondale Post Office is doing its best to deliver the mail. She said mail carriers were working their routes the day after the tornado. She said it was taking them up to six or seven hours to deliver the mail, because streets were blocked with trees, power lines and debris.

Fultondale acting postmaster Ken Crum said if Fultondale residents need to have their mail forwarded or put on hold because their homes are badly damaged by the storms, to stop by the post office.

“If you’re not receiving your mail, come to the post office,” Crum said. “We’ll keep your mail service coming.”