FEMA continues to provide homeowners and renters in middle and west Tennessee with grants to recover and rebuild after the Dec. 10, 2021, tornadoes. As of Feb. 23, 2022, FEMA has disbursed more than $1 million in Individual Assistance.
Deadlines Approaching for Tornado Federal Assistance
Now is the time to apply for federal assistance to help with expenses stemming from last December’s tornadoes in middle and west Tennessee. There is a specific program called Individual Assistance that supports homeowners and renters; FEMA Public Assistance provides reimbursement funding to state, local governments and qualifying private non-profits, like houses of worship.
The application deadlines vary by program:
- The deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) is March 15
- The deadline for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) is Saturday, March 5.
Here is some additional information on available federal assistance:
FEMA Individual Assistance: Homeowners and Renters
Over the last 40 days, FEMA has disbursed $824,479 in Housing Assistance (HA), which includes grants to repair or replace a damaged primary residence and/or provide temporary housing assistance (including rental assistance) for those whose primary residence became unsafe or uninhabitable due to tornado damage. Other Needs Assistance (ONA) has put $177,442 in disaster survivors’ hands to help with rebuilding and recovery. ONA pays for serious necessities directly related to the storms and tornadoes, like transportation, storage and moving fees, childcare, miscellaneous expenses and funeral costs. Grants through FEMA Individual Households Program (IHP) are intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts. IHP is not intended to return disaster-damaged property to its pre-disaster condition and only a survivor’s primary residence is eligible for assistance.
If you are a homeowner or renter in Cheatham, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner and Weakley counties who suffered property damage and other storm-related expenses, you are eligible to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance. Again, the deadline is March 15, 2022.
There are several ways to submit an application:
- Visit www.disasterassistance.gov. It’s fast and easy. You can apply immediately online and the website is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Multilingual specialists are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others:
- Update the "Current Phone" field using the relay service phone number
- Add "Relay Service" to the Note box; provide FEMA with your number.
- Use the FEMA app, which can be easily downloaded to a smartphone or laptop.
U.S. Small Business Administration:
Once you apply for FEMA, you may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In times of disasters, the SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses, homeowners and renters. There's no obligation to accept a loan, but you may miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds if you don't apply.
Homeowners, renters and business owners have until March 15 to apply for an SBA disaster loan. Visit one of the SBA’s Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) in Davidson or Weakley County to receive a loan application. You can also call the SBA's Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for assistance. You can also download the forms at sba.gov/disaster.
Here are the BRC locations:
- Davidson County: SBA District Office
2 International Plaza Drive, Suite 500
Nashville, TN 37217 - Weakley County: Weakley County Professional Development Center
8250 TN Highway 22
Dresden, TN 38225
BRCs are open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; offices are closed Saturday and Sunday.
FEMA Public Assistance: Private nonprofits, state and local governments:
FEMA’s program to support state, local governments, eligible private nonprofits, tribal and territorial communities is called Public Assistance (PA). In middle and west Tennessee, Cheatham, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner and Weakley counties are eligible to apply for PA. The grants are used for projects like debris removal, emergency protective measures, repairing roads, restoring utilities, and rebuilding public facilities.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) manages the program, while FEMA funds it. Click here for additional information posted on TEMA’s website. Communities interested in applying for PA should contact their local or state emergency manager to begin the process and submit a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) form by Saturday, March 5, 2022.
Resources for Disaster Survivors
United Way of West Tennessee: Call 211 for the United Way of West Tennessee for tornado relief/assistance. Click here to find links to the campaign pages for Cheatham, Dickson, Dyer/Lake, Gibson, Sumner, Weakley and Wilson counties.
Disaster Legal Services: Residents with legal issues due to the tornadoes may call 844-HELP4TN (844-435-7486) or reach out to attorneys online at https://tn.freelegalanswers.org. Additionally, survivors can access information about their rights and resources, including links to upcoming legal clinics, and local resources at https://www.help4tn.org/. Disaster legal services are authorized by FEMA in cooperation with the Tennessee Bar Association and the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services.
Tennessee USDA Farm Service Agency: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to natural disasters, like severe storms and tornadoes. To learn more, go to https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Tennessee/index
Disability Rights Tennessee: Disability Rights Tennessee is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to protect the rights of Tennessee residents with disabilities. To learn more, visit the organization’s website or reach out to a member of the Intake Team directly by calling 1-800-342-1660.
Veteran County Service Officers: Veterans or their family member requiring information or assistance from the Department of Veterans Services may use the following link to receive a return call providing one-on-one assistance: https://www.tn.gov/veteran/contact-us.html.
For more information on Tennessee’s disaster recovery, visit www.tn.gov/tema.html and www.fema.gov/disaster/4637. You may also follow FEMA on www.facebook.com/fema and Twitter @FEMARegion4.