Tennessee Tornadoes Six Months Later
Release Date: October 5, 2006
Release Number: R4-06-055
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Six months since a violent storm system released two deadly tornadoes that ravaged 15 Tennessee counties this past April, state and federal assistance, to date, totals more than $26.4 million in grants and loans to eligible residents, businesses, governmental and certain private non-profit agencies.
Words can not adequately describe the loss of life and property. But numbers help to paint a clearer picture of state and federal efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):
- Responded to 2,016 Tennesseans who registered through the toll-free registration line for disaster assistance.
- Provided $1,551,515 in federal grants through its Individuals and Households (IHP) programs. Both the Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance programs are administered by FEMA. This includes:
- $782,082 through the Housing Assistance program, fully funded by FEMA, that provides money for repairs and rental assistance;
- $769,432 million to storm victims to cover other needs related to the disaster, such as funeral and dental expenses resulting from the disaster, loss of personal property and transportation. This program is funded 75 percent by FEMA and 25 percent by the state.
- Reimbursed the state and local governments $8,135,095 million in Public Assistance program funding for repair, replacement or clean up of damaged roads and bridges, public buildings, and water control facilities. Most of this was for municipal utilities, the removal of debris from rights-of-way, and overtime costs for emergency personnel. The figure represents 75 percent of the overall cost. The remaining 25 percent is a cost shared by the state and local governments.
- Assisted 1,238 disaster victims at disaster recovery centers that were staffed by experts in all phases of recovery activities including crisis counseling, tax information, disaster unemployment, aging services, volunteer agencies and legal referrals. The centers closed May 5th, 2006.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which partners with FEMA on post-disaster recovery efforts, dispersed a total of $16,765,300 in financial assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses that experienced economic damage as a result of the tornado outbreak. This includes $13,471,900 for home owners and renters and $3,293,400 for businesses.
The following chart offers a breakdown of FEMA assistance by county:
| Tennessee Tornado Recovery IHP - Individual and Household Program HA - Housing Assistance ON - Other Needs As of 10/03/2006 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Applications | IHP Amount | HA Amount | ON Amount | Public Assistance (federal share) |
| Benton (County) | 17 | $11,203.34 | $10,800.00 | $403.34 | $86,726.57 |
| Cannon (County) | 110 | $18,431.07 | $17,231.07 | $1,200.00 | $35,838.36 |
| Carroll (County) | 30 | $18,533.68 | $13,856.00 | $4,677.68 | * |
| Cheatham (County) | 23 | $48,147.96 | $46,038.97 | $2,108.99 | $23,700.09 |
| Cumberland (County) | 104 | $37,040.46 | $26,684.42 | $10,356.04 | $98,268.32 |
| Davidson (County) | 111 | $111,098.18 | $71,384.98 | $39,713.20 | $232,034.79 |
| Dickson (County) | 49 | $72,411.06 | $55,504.57 | $16,906.49 | $93,022.59 |
| Dyer (County) | 251 | $338,538.85 | $117,003.68 | $221,535.17 | $650,850.19 |
| Fayette (County) | 22 | $8,705.99 | $8,516.00 | $189.99 | $13,730.22 |
| Gibson (County) | 673 | $603,144.97 | $302,693.45 | $300,451.52 | $1,185,732.45 |
| Haywood (County) | 35 | $34,812.71 | $25,556.00 | $9,256.71 | $22,178.35 |
| Sumner (County) | 440 | $158,151.72 | $28,234.84 | $129,916.88 | $1,428,481.01 |
| Warren (County) | 38 | $63,051.52 | $30,711.00 | $32,340.52 | $46,647.54 |
| Weakley (County) | 34 | $28,243.11 | $27,867.21 | $375.90 | * |
| Other Counties | 79 | * * * STATEWIDE PA $4,217,884.71 | |||
| TOTAL | 2,016 | $1,551,514.62 | $782,082.19 | $769,432.43 | $8,135,095.19 |
* Counties declared eligible for Individual Assistance only.
***Public Assistance granted to agencies and utility companies serving multiple counties.
On March 31, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders and manages the National Flood Insurance Program.
Last Modified: Friday, 06-Oct-2006 09:02:05