FEMA: One Month Later, Disaster Assistance Efforts in Tennessee Continue
Monday, June 07, 2010 | 12:07pm
NASHVILLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced updated information on the continued efforts of federal and state support in the Volunteer State following the severe storms and flooding between April 30 and May 18.
As of June 4, 30 days after President Obama made a federal disaster declaration for Tennessee, 1,039 federal and state employees from across the country are working to meet the needs of more than 60,000 disaster survivors who have registered for assistance.
"FEMA is only one part of the team in Tennessee," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech. "The coordinated efforts between federal, state, local, nonprofit, faith-based and private sector organizations have provided a broad network to get the needed information and assistance to individuals and families quickly."
More than 20,000 volunteers have been helping with response and recovery efforts. Volunteers have included players, coaches and staff from the NFL Tennessee Titans, who helped with cleanup efforts in Nashville.
Private sector groups such as Gaylord Entertainment are also helping to share disaster recovery information through their web sites, as are music industry representatives including the Nashville Songwriters Association International and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Additionally, FEMA and TEMA are hosting an online community through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo. This online hub allows those affected by the disaster and those active in the response to share information.
As recovery efforts continue, the following summary outlines the progress that has been made over the first 30 days:
- Nearly $130 million in federal assistance approved – $113.3 million in housing assistance, which includes rental and home repair assistance, and $16.4 million for other needs such as property lost due to the disaster.
- 60,240 people registered with FEMA for Individual Assistance.
- $41.5 million in loans approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
- 15,311 homes and businesses were visited by FEMA Community Relations specialists who distributed more than 12,000 fliers in several languages, including Arabic, Vietnamese and Farsi.
- 20,000 volunteers put in more than 160,000 volunteer hours working with more than
- 40 community and faith-based organizations. They included members of the Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, as well as other agencies from outside Tennessee, with assistance from FEMA’s Voluntary Agencies Liaison office.
- 331,000 employees and customers in business organizations and companies received disaster recovery information through networks developed by FEMA’s Private Sector division.
- 9,318 people received 4,558 publications from FEMA Mitigation specialists with rebuilding information to prevent and lessen damage in future disasters.
The last day to register with FEMA for disaster assistance is July 6.
DISASTER APPLICANTS URGED TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR RECOVERY
Many options are available to storm and flood survivors to take charge of their recovery, whether they are still waiting to find out if they are eligible for disaster assistance or have already received it.
Here are some tips and resources to help applicants proceed along the road to a smart recovery:
REGISTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE – July 6
If you had damage from the severe storms and flooding that took place between
April 30 and May 18, the deadline to register is July 6. Register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY: 800-462-7585).
FOLLOW UP
If you have questions, call the Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Locations can be found at https://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/drcLocator.jsp.
If you receive a disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), complete and return it, even if you are not interested in taking out a loan. Failure to fill out an SBA application will prevent referral for other possible federal assistance.
HOUSING
For those who have been displaced and need a home to rent, thousands of rental listings can be found at FEMA's housing portal at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm Also, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency sponsors a free, statewide rental housing database of available properties. Online access is available at www.TNHousingSearch.org or by calling
877-428-8844.
Families who do not have many rental resource options in their area or who would like to live on their property while they make repairs to their home are permitted to use FEMA assistance grants toward the purchase or rental of a trailer, RV or manufactured housing.
JOB LOSS DUE TO DISASTER
You may be eligible for unemployment assistance if the storms and flooding affected your ability to work. File a claim at 877-813-0950. For information about deadlines and locations go to http://www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/unemployment_dua.html.
LOW-INTEREST LOANS
The SBA offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans to homeowners and renters as well as businesses. Find more information at www.sba.gov
CRISIS COUNSELING
It is normal to experience stress while rebuilding after a disaster. If you feel you are having trouble coping, short-term crisis counseling referrals are available at any nearby Disaster Recovery Center or online at www.tn.gov/mental. Or call 800-809-9957.
LEGAL SERVICES
Call the disaster legal assistance hotline at 888-395-9297. This is a joint project by the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Assistance, the American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division and local legal organizations. The hotline is a source of advice on insurance claims, landlord-tenant problems, home repair contracts, mortgage foreclosure problems, replacement of legal documents and other disaster-related matters.
VOLUNTEER HELP
If you need additional clothing, furniture or other supplies, call Tennessee's 2-1-1 line. You may also be eligible for assistance with cleaning your house, removing mold and mucking out as well as with repairs.
To read more go to www.fema.gov/widgets.
Follow the recovery in Tennessee online at http://twitter.com/tema, www.twitter.com/femainfocus, http://www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, www.youtube.com/fema and http://www.flickr.com/photos/t_e_m_a.
The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA and TEMA do not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call
800-462-7585.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
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