Tennessee Storms Weekly Fact Sheet

Residents of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties have until July 7 to apply for FEMA disaster assistance if they had losses from the storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred March 25 through April 3.

KEY MESSAGES

• Tennessee residents affected by the spring storms in Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties can still apply for federal assistance through July 7. Tennessee storm survivors are encouraged to apply to FEMA if they have uninsured losses or damage from the storms. The federal government cannot restore everything you may have lost. But you may be able to recover faster with money from FEMA to help pay for basic repairs to make your home safe, accessible and secure.

• Ways to apply: Visit DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA app to a smartphone or tablet or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). The Helpline is your go to resource for answers to questions about your application or to update FEMA on your current housing situation. Lines are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time. If you use a relay service, such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel, update FEMA with the specific number assigned to that service.

• As of June 13, 2021, the following federal assistance has been approved:

        FEMA’s Individuals & Households Program

        Housing Assistance: $874,361

         Other Needs Assistance: $73,805

         Total $ Approved Individuals & Households Program: $948,166

         Rental Assistance: $452,576

         Total Registrations: 1,249

 

        U.S. Small Business Administration

         Total Loans Approved:  75 (includes 72 for homeowners and three for businesses)

         Total $ Approved: $2.7 million

• You may apply for a disaster loan online using SBA’s secure website at https://DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s/. Email FOCE-Help@SBA.gov to set up a phone appointment for assistance with your disaster loan application.  
• You may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. The center is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time, seven days a week. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call 800-877-8339
• SBA Loans:  Low interest, long-term disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and some nonprofit organizations recover. FEMA may refer assistance applicants to SBA. Submitting an SBA loan application is a necessary step to being considered for some forms of disaster assistance.

• Remote Inspections: To protect the safety and health of disaster survivors and FEMA workers, the agency is conducting remote inspections of homes reported to be severely damaged by the storms. Remote inspections are conducted by telephone or internet streaming service. These inspections are comparable to traditional, in-person assessments. 

• Rental Assistance Available: Residents of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties whose homes were made unsafe or uninhabitable by the storms may be eligible for temporary rental assistance from FEMA.

• Rental assistance may be used to lease a house, apartment or manufactured home. It does not have to be repaid.
• To be considered for temporary rental assistance, homeowners and renters must have been displaced from their primary residence because it became uninhabitable due to storm damage.

• Free Legal Help: Low-income storm survivors facing legal issues as a result of the severe storms and flooding may call 1-844-HELP4TN (1-844-435-7486) to get help from a volunteer attorney. A lawyer may be able to help resolve questions about insurance claims, consumer protection with home repair or rebuilding, landlord/tenant problems or replacement of important legal documents. Attorneys are also available to answer questions online at https://tn.freelegalanswers.org/.  Disaster legal services are authorized by FEMA in cooperation with the Tennessee Bar Association and the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services.

• Beware of Fraud: After a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals sometimes try to take advantage of disaster survivors. Federal and Tennessee emergency management officials urge residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity such as people pretending to be FEMA employees. All FEMA representatives carry a laminated badge and have your FEMA registration number.

For more information on Tennessee’s disaster recovery, visit www.tn.gov/tema.html and www.fema.gov/disaster/4601. You may also follow FEMA on www.facebook.com/fema and Twitter @FEMARegion4.