Lots of damage in Hickman County, Tennessee from the same floods that hit Nashville. Even though it hasn’t received much news coverage, people are dealing with the same destructive flooding as well as the high winds and a tornado over the weekend. A Presidential Disaster Declaration has been requested from Governor Phil Bredesen and is imminent. This will allow FEMA assistance for Hickman County.
Info:
Photograph and document your damages
Call your insurance company even if you don’t think you are covered (might be important for FEMA assistance)
Watch your health. Standing water may have been contaminated and there will be rusty metal and debris that can cause serious injury and infection.
Links to flood assistance information from Congressman Lincoln Davis
The following is the text of letter from Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper forwarded to me by State Representative Gary Moore:
Good morning.
I am writing to provide you with information on federal assistance that will be available to communities
and individuals in our area, once federal disaster assistance is granted by President Obama. This
message is being sent to Mayors, State Legislators, and other elected and appointed officials in
Middle Tennessee. Business and non-profit leaders are also included.
Yesterday morning, I organized a letter with other U.S. Representatives Marsha Blackburn, Lincoln
Davis, and Steve Cohen, urging the Governor to seek federal assistance as soon as possible.
Last night, Gov. Bredesen, officially asked for federal assistance as the damage our counties suffered
during last weekend’s storm is beyond our state’s capability to handle.
The President spoke with Gov. Bredesen yesterday, and we expect that the official federal disaster
declaration is imminent. When that declaration comes through, federal resources will be available.
Those resources can be summarized in three distinct categories:
1 ) “Public Assistance” is for local governments and some nonprofits.
This is for larger scale debris removal, emergency protections, repair/restoration of
publicly owned facilities. This funding is typically a 75:25 federal match with the state
determining how to split up the 25%.
2) “Individual Assistance” is for housing and non-housing needs (details follow):
– “Housing Assistance” to cover hotels, rentals, repairs that insurance doesn’t cover.
-“Other than Housing Assistance” for people and businesses as a last resort. It covers
medical, burial, home, etc, if all other sources of assistance have been exhausted.
3) Small Business Administration loans (non-FEMA)
This is for physical home or business repair as well as “economic injury” to a small business.
In the coming days we will provide more information on each of these, and FEMA personnel will be
on the ground ready to assist.
Citizens will also be able to access information through an 800 number: (800.621-3362), or at
www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Regards,
Jim Cooper
Member of Congress
