Community Relations Teams To Help Storm Victims 

Release Date: May 13, 2003
Release Number: 1464-05

» More Information on Tennessee Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

Nashville, TN -- Teams of community relations specialists have been deployed to 20 Tennessee disaster counties to deliver information about disaster assistance to businesses, homeowners and renters who suffered losses due to the tornadoes, severe storms and flooding that hit the state last week.

John D. White, Jr., state coordinating officer for recovery efforts, said emergency management officials in each of the affected counties would direct the teams to identified areas of need. "We will be going door-to-door in affected neighborhoods to spread the word that help is available with unmet needs arising from the disaster," White said. He added that the teams would remain in the declared counties as long as they are needed.

Michael Bolch, the official in charge of federal recovery operations, said the community-relations teams will answer questions about various types of assistance and inform residents that assistance is available only by registering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by calling 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or 1-800-462-7585 (TDD) for the speech or hearing impaired.

"Beginning as soon as a disaster is declared, these teams work on a face-to-face basis with citizens at every level of the local community, including government, business, religious and volunteer organizations," Bolch said.

Under the declaration issued by President Bush May 8, federal and state assistance is available in a wide range of federal and state disaster programs to help families with their recovery from uninsured losses due to the series of storms beginning May 4.

The counties eligible for assistance are Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Crockett, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, Montgomery, Obion, Robertson, Stewart and Weakley. Those also eligible for financial assistance restoring damaged infrastructure are: Dyer, Madison, Montgomery and Weakley.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-May-2003 12:13:22