Join West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) for its inaugural Disaster Law Seminar on Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CDT. Attorney Jessi Pruett will discusses heirship property issues; WTLS attorneys Matthew Flood and Michael Creasy will present an overview of disaster legal work, FEMA appeals and working with the community after a disaster; and Vickie Trice and Jennifer Ramcharan from the Department of Commerce and Insurance will discuss working with insurance companies after a disaster. The event is free and will take place via Zoom. Register here.

President Joe Biden has approved Gov. Bill Lee’s request for federal disaster relief following severe storms in Tennessee in May, including deadly tornadoes and flooding. WPLN reports that the aid is approved for recovery efforts by local governments and qualified nonprofits in 12 counties: Cannon, Cheatham, Giles, Hamilton, Jackson, Macon, Maury, Montgomery, Polk, Smith, Sumner and Warren. Lee’s request for individual assistance for residents in the counties hit the hardest is still pending. The storms on May 8 and 9 included 10 tornadoes, damaging hail and record-setting rainfall in some areas.

Gov. Bill Lee has requested a disaster declaration from President Joe Biden for Tennessee counties impacted by the May 8 and 9 tornado outbreak. WSMV reports that the state has requested assistance from two programs: Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. If granted, federal assistance would become available to Cannon, Cheatham, Giles, Hamilton, Jackson, Macon, Maury, Montgomery, Polk, Robertson, Rutherford Smith, Sumner and Warren counties. “Federal disaster assistance will bring much-needed economic relief and resources to help our communities and fellow Tennesseans recover from the devastation of these storms,” Lee said.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has announced that it is extending the franchise and excise tax filing and payment deadlines to June 17 for businesses impacted by the December 2023 storms. This extension will automatically apply to any businesses in the designated disaster area. The department also says it will approve extensions for other types of taxes on a case-by-case basis for these taxpayers. Learn more about this benefit. In addition, Tennessee residents impacted by these storms are potentially eligible for sales tax refunds on items such as home appliances, home furniture and home building supplies. Read more about applying for those benefits.

Gov. Bill Lee recently announced that three more counties have been approved for FEMA’s Individual Assistance following tornadoes and severe weather in west and middle Tennessee on Dec. 9., 2023. They are: Cheatham, Gibson and Stewart counties. They join Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Sumner counties in the federal disaster declaration approved on Dec. 13. Individuals in the declared counties can apply for individual direct assistance through FEMA’s website, app or by phone at 800-621-3362.

President Joe Biden yesterday approved an expedited federal disaster declaration for areas in Tennessee affected by the Dec. 9 tornado outbreak, reports WKRN. The declaration will make recovery assistance available to four counties hit by the storms: Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Sumner. The disaster declaration includes FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) Program, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Direct Federal Assistance. Individuals in the declared counties can apply now for direct assistance through the FEMA IA program online at any time or by phone at 1-800-621-3362 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Multilingual operators are available.

Severe weather impacted 11 Tennessee counties, with reports of 13 tornadoes on Saturday night. Six people died in Clarksville and Madison and 83 injured patients were rushed to area hospitals in the aftermath of what is likely the deadliest December for Middle Tennessee tornadoes on record, according to the Tennessean. Gov. Bill Lee and affected counties have issued state of emergency declarations and the Tennessee legal services community is prepared to provide assistance to those affected. The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services' website Help4TN is always available with legal information and resources, and individuals with disaster related legal questions may call 844-HELP4TN and ask to speak with the expert disaster resilience attorney Nick Gau. Regional legal aid programs are planning clinics and other services in the coming days. More information, including a link for attorneys to volunteer to help is available on the TBA website. 

The White House recently sent a supplemental funding request to Congress that includes $21 million in disaster relief funds for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). The agency reports this is the first time that such funding has been included in a disaster relief request. Following natural disasters, the LSC works with state partners to provide resources and information vital for communities to respond and recover. Among its initiatives, the agency hosts a Disaster Task Force and recently launched a new website designed to provide real-time disaster risk assessments, details on recent disasters, recovery guidance, connections to local aid organizations and comprehensive information for each disaster type. The group also recently featured a conversation about the role civil legal aid plays in recovery efforts in its podcast “Talk Justice.”

The U.S. has been hit by a record-breaking 23 billion-dollar disasters so far in 2023, with Tennessee suffering from 10 of them. These disasters, primarily caused by windstorms and thunderstorms, have resulted in significant damage ranging from $2 to $5 billion across the state. WPLN reports that the increase in billion-dollar disasters is part of a national trend exacerbated by climate change.

FEMA has announced that federal disaster assistance is now available to the state of Tennessee to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and straight-line winds that occurred July 18-21. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state. Public assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal 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 severe storms and straight-line winds in Fayette, Henry, Shelby and Tipton counties. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. For questions contact FEMA-NewsDesk-Tennessee@FEMA-DHS.gov.