Governor Requests FEMA Damage Assessment for Flooding

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen has asked the Tennessee and Federal Emergency Management Agencies to provide a joint preliminary damage assessment for Hamilton and Hardin Counties for federal assistance programs due to the recent flooding in those counties. Officials with TEMA and FEMA will begin that process on Monday.

“Our first responders performed extremely well in assisting people out of harms way,” said Governor Bredesen. “I would now like to see the damage assessments conducted as soon as possible so individuals affected by the flooding can receive all eligible assistance to assist with their recovery.”

The survey will determine if the damage to individual households is sufficient to trigger the federal Assistance programs, such as Individual Assistance, which provides help to households and private businesses. If sufficient, this would also provide access to low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Loan program to individuals and businesses. Qualifying for the federal Public Assistance program, which provides financial reimbursement to state and local governments and utilities, is also determined by the survey.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency continues to assist county emergency management where possible to match individual needs with non-governmental programs, such as those offered by members of the Tennessee Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters.

Tennessee remains under a declared state of emergency from the response to flooding across the state. The State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville is currently at level 3 activation. Current information on the state’s emergency activities and photos of the emergency are available on www.tnema.org.

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