PUBLIC NOTICE FEMA 4637-DR-TN

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace facilities damaged by the Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes occurring December 10, 2021 through December 11, 2021. This notice applies to the Public Assistance (PA), Individual Assistance (IA), and Hazard Mitigation Grant (HMGP) programs implemented under the           authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121- 5207.

Under major disaster declaration FEMA 4637-DR-TN, signed by the President on January 14, 2022, the following counties have been designated adversely affected by the disaster and eligible for IA: Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, Weakley, and Wilson counties. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will be available statewide. Additional declarations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Under Amendment 1 to Major Disaster Declaration FEMA 4637-DR-TN, issued February 3, 2022, the following counties have been designated adversely affected by the disaster and eligible for PA: Cheatham, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, and Weakley.  The HMGP remains available statewide.

This public notice concerns activities that may affect historic properties, activities that are in or affect wetland areas or the 1% annual chance (100-year) floodplain, and critical actions within the 0.2% annual chance (500-year) floodplain. Such activities may adversely affect the historic property, floodplain, or wetland or may result in continuing vulnerability to flood damage.

Presidential Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 require all federal actions in or affecting the floodplain or wetlands be reviewed for opportunities to relocate, and evaluated for social, economic, historical, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Where there is no opportunity to relocate, FEMA is required to undertake a detailed review to determine what measures may be taken to minimize future damages. The public is invited to participate in the process of identifying alternatives and  analyzing their impacts through this notification.

FEMA has determined that for certain types of facilities there are normally no alternatives to restoration in the floodplain or wetland. These are facilities that meet all of the following criteria: 1) FEMA’s estimate of the cost of repairs is less than 50-percent of the cost to replace the entire facility and is less than $100,000; 2) the facility is not located in a floodway or coastal high hazard area; 3) the facility has not sustained major structural damage in a previous presidentially-declared flooding disaster or emergency; and 4) the facility is not critical (e.g., the facility is not a hospital, generating plant, emergency operations center, or a facility that contains dangerous materials). FEMA intends to provide assistance for the restoration of these facilities to their pre-disaster condition, except for certain measures to mitigate the effect of future flooding or other hazards which may be included in the work. For example, a bridge or culvert restoration may include a larger waterway opening to decrease the risk of future washouts.

For routine activities, this will be the only public notice provided. Other activities and those involving facilities that do not meet the four criteria above are required to undergo more detailed review, including the study of alternate locations. Subsequent public notices regarding such projects will be published, if necessary, as more specific information becomes available.

In many cases, a recipient or subrecipient may have started facility restoration before federal involvement. Even if the facility must undergo detailed review and analysis of alternate locations, FEMA will fund eligible restoration at the original location if the facility is functionally dependent on its floodplain location (e.g., bridges and piers), or the project facilitates an open space use, or the facility is an integral part of a larger network that is impractical or uneconomical to relocate, such as a road. In such cases, FEMA must also examine the possible effects of not restoring the facility, minimizing floodplain or wetland impacts, and determining both that an overriding public need for the facility clearly outweighs the   Executive Order requirements to avoid the floodplain or wetland, and that the site is the only practicable alternative. The State of Tennessee and local officials will confirm to FEMA that the proposed actions comply with all applicable state and local floodplain management and wetland protection requirements.

FEMA intends to provide IA program funding for disaster-related emergency housing. These actions may adversely affect a floodplain, wetland or may result in continuing vulnerability to floods. These actions may include repair, restoration, or construction of housing or private bridges, purchase and placement of travel trailers or manufactured housing units, or repair of structures as minimum protective measures.  This will be the only public notice concerning these actions.

FEMA also intends to provide HMGP funding to the State of Tennessee to mitigate future disaster damages. These projects may include construction of new facilities, modification of existing, undamaged facilities, relocation of facilities out of floodplains, elevation or demolition of structures, or other types of projects to mitigate future disaster damages. While developing project proposals, subsequent public notices will be published, if necessary, as more specific information becomes available.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effect of their actions (undertakings) on historic properties. Those actions or activities affecting buildings, structures, districts, objects 50 years or older, or that affect archeological sites or undisturbed ground will require further review to determine if the property is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (Register). If the property is determined to be eligible for the Register and FEMA’s undertaking will adversely affect it, FEMA will provide additional public notices, if necessary. For historic properties not adversely affected by FEMA’s undertaking, this will be the only public notice.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the civil rights of persons with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by the federal government, federal contractors, and by recipients of federal financial assistance. Any recipient or sub-recipient of federal funds is required to make their programs accessible to individuals with disabilities. Its protections apply to all programs and businesses that receive any federal funds. This applies to all elements of physical, architectural, programmatic and communication accessibility in all services and activities conducted by or funded by FEMA. FEMA intends to comply with the Rehabilitation Act in all federally conducted and assisted programs in alignment with the principals of whole community inclusion and universal accessibility.

As noted, this may be the only public notice regarding the above-described actions under the IA and HMGP programs. Interested persons may obtain information about these actions or a specific project by writing to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency – Region IV - EHP, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341-4112 or emailing FEMA- R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing to Stephanie Everfield, Regional Environmental Officer, c/o Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Office, at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.