March flooding brings Tennessee a 2nd Federal Disaster Declaration in 2021

Mayor Cooper tours flood damaged home.

Twenty-three Tennessee counties will receive federal recovery assistance under a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the severe weather and flooding across the state on March 27, and March 28.

“I appreciate our local, state, and federal partners working so quickly, in difficult situations, to gather damage estimates and information so we are able to receive this federal relief from what was Tennessee’s second major disaster in 2021,” Gov. Bill Lee said.

The 23 counties included in the Major Disaster Declaration are Campbell, Cannon, Cheatham, Claiborne, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Fentress, Grainger, Hardeman, Henderson, Hickman, Jackson, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Moore, Overton, Scott, Smith, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson counties.

The Major Disaster Declaration allows the eligible county jurisdictions to seek reimbursement, through FEMA’s Public Assistance program, for emergency response measures, and the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure.

The Major Disaster Declaration also will provide FEMA’s Individual Assistance program to individuals and households in Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties.

Individuals in Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson Counties can apply for FEMA’s IA program online at <www.DisasterAssistance.gov> or by calling the application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585), 6 am until 10 pm, CT.

For more information on FEMA’s IA program, visit <www.fema.gov/assistance/individual>.

More information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at <www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit>.

In mid-April, TEMA coordinated and organized joint Preliminary Damage Assessments with local emergency officials and FEMA representatives in the impacted counties as part of the federal Major Disaster Declaration process.

The severe weather across Tennessee on March 27 and March 28, caused seven fatalities and disrupted power to 15,000 customers. Some areas of Middle Tennessee received between 7” and 9” of rainfall in a 24-hour-period, resulting in the worst flash flooding event since the Great Tennessee Flood of May 2010.

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