President Barack Obama has designated Tennessee counties impacted by a severe winter storms and flooding in February as a disaster area, reports Michael Collins.
Thirty-five counties, most in the eastern and middle parts of the state, are covered under the disaster declaration… Federal funding will be available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the winter storms and flooding from Feb. 15-22.
Funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
An ice storm and multiple snow storms pummeled the state in February as temperatures dipped into single digits. The weather was blamed for the deaths of 30 people across the state and two waves of mass power outages. At the peak, more than 60,000 people were without electricity in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has estimated its statewide costs at $11.3 million.
…Additional designations may be made later if may if requested by the state and determined to be warranted, FEMA said.
Counties covered under the emergency declaration are Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, Fentress, Giles, Grainger, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hardeman, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Loudon, Marshall, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Putnam, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Van Buren, Warren and White.
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Note Gov. Bill Haslam’s news release is below.
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