Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that President Biden has designated 12 Tennessee counties to receive FEMA’s Individual Assistance program through a Major Disaster Declaration for the deadly tornado outbreak on Dec. 10, and Dec. 11, 2021.
The Tennessee counties named in the Major Disaster Declaration are Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, Weakley, and Wilson.
“I appreciate the hard recovery work we’ve already accomplished with our local, state, and federal partners,” Gov. Lee said. “We will continue working to make sure Tennesseans have every resource necessary for a full, swift recovery.”
FEMA is still reviewing data assessment data in determining whether the counties will be eligible for the Public Assistance program.
Individuals in the declared counties can apply now for direct assistance through FEMA’s IA program.
Individuals can apply for FEMA’s IA program as follows:
1. Online at DisasterAssistance.gov; or,
2. By phone at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
Those eligible for FEMA’s IA program may receive help with rental assistance, the repair of homes and replacement of personal property, and other uninsured or under-insured losses from the disaster.
FEMA’s application phone number is available from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., Central, and multilingual operators are available.
More information on FEMA’s IA program is at fema.gov/assistance/
individual.
The Major Disaster Declaration also makes FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program available to all Tennessee counties. Grants provided through the Hazard Mitigation Program can provide reimbursement assistance for projects that prevent or reduce the long-term risk to the loss of life and property from natural hazards.
On Dec. 13, 2021, FEMA granted an Emergency Declaration for nine Tennessee counties and made limited federal assistance available for emergency measures the counties took in responding to the disaster.
Th counties included in the initial Emergency Declaration were Cheatham, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Lake, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley.
Tennessee experienced two lines of severe weather on Dec. 10, and Dec. 11, as a mass of warm, unstable air moved across the state. The storms produced 24 tornadoes across west and middle Tennessee, claimed five lives, and left more than 150,000 people without power at the severe weather’s peak.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has made a recovery web page available in an effort to help storm survivors find resources and support.
Photo: Tornado aftermath in Dresden. Photo by April Leiberman.