By Ashley Benkarski
NASHVILLE, TN–Tennesseans affected by last December’s tornadoes have one week to apply for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before the deadline expires Feb. 12.
According to FEMA’s website, “Homeowners and renters in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Montgomery, Stewart and Sumner counties with uninsured losses from the storms may be eligible for financial assistance for temporary lodging, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other uninsured disaster-related expenses.” The agency can also help with transportation, medical, dental, and funeral assistance.
FEMA has been working with its state counterpart, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), to coordinate its disaster recovery response using Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams. Those teams have visited more than 17,000 homes and nearly 7,000 community locations since the storms. The agency has received nearly 4,100 applications.
“One of the things that we talk about here is sometimes people can’t come to us, right? [W]e meet people on their worst day, and sometimes they can’t get into a car and go to a disaster recovery center, because their car may have been impacted by the storm or it’s just, it’s a lot,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Yolanda Jackson.
Many in the region still feel the impacts of previous disasters that have caused lasting trauma. To help, the agency has crisis counseling available under its offered assistance. Call 800-985-5990, visit samhsa.gov or text TalkWithUs for English or Hablanos for Spanish to 66746.
Looking at the data, she said, FEMA’s current rate of applicants that have self-identified with a disability is over 30 percent, underscoring the importance of access. Tennessee has a large veteran population. To date, more than $3.5 million has been approved for 1,870 Tennessee households.
“We also, with our partners with TEMA, want to reach all affected communities to ensure that there is equal opportunity and access to apply for assistance, including in our underserved populations, but also those with disabilities.”
Jackson said it’s crucial for impacted individuals to apply, even if they feel their losses aren’t significant. “If you have any loss from the storm, it’s really important just to apply. Let us determine what you’re eligible for.”
Getting a FEMA registration number will allow people access to aid once the deadline has passed, the tn.gov website states.
“So don’t wait, apply as soon as possible,” Jackson urged. “And I always like to remind folks that this application process is free. It’s really easy.”
Applications can be found on FEMA’s mobile app or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also call toll-free daily at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) or visit a Disaster Recovery Center near you. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as VRS, captioned telephone service, or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
It’s important to be aware of scams, Jackson said. Visiting FEMA/TEMA agents will always have official badges on them and the agencies will never ask for money or your credit card information.
There are two DRC locations– In Clarksville at the Montgomery County Public Library and at the Madison Church of Christ parking lot on Gallatin Pike. The Clarksville location is open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Madison Church of Christ mobile location is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit fema.gov/drc for more information.
Jackson also stressed that it’s important for people to begin thinking ahead, as the occurrence and intensity of these storms have increased in recent years. Jackson encouraged individuals to visit FEMA’s website for mitigation information and ready.gov for information on how to prepare for a myriad of disasters, not only severe storms and tornadoes.
Jackson stressed that the response of Tennesseans to the needs of their neighbors has been admirable, with people often asking her how they can help on the ground. If you’d like to be a part of the recovery efforts, visit USAJobs.gov.
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