Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expedite resources under his Major Disaster Declaration to assist Tennessee’s storm and flood victims. If the request is granted, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties will receive public assistance and individual assistance on top of the federal assistance that has already been authorized. Lee surveyed storm damage and met with local officials in affected areas of East Tennessee this week, KnoxNews reports. The TBA has resources for lawyers who need assistance and those wanting to help colleagues. Access more information about those opportunities.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced that it would work with East Tennessee Drivers Services Centers to distribute duplicate licenses or state IDs to anyone who lost those documents in flooding following Hurricane Helene. KnoxNews reports that flood victims can go to the Unicoi Police Department, 3600 Unicoi Dr., Unicoi 37692 or Newport Grammar School, 301 College St., Newport 37821, now through Oct. 4 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT to seek replacements. According to the paper, the state expects to announce more of these "temporary driver services locations" soon.

Following the devastating flooding last week from Hurricane Helene, Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti issued a warning to scammers and price gougers: "While most Tennesseans are showing the best of the Volunteer spirit to our neighbors devastated by Helene, a few bad actors always slime out of the woodwork to take advantage of those in need." The AG’s Division of Consumer Affairs reminds Tennesseans to be cautious and wary of disaster relief scams that may pop up around price gouging, construction and repair, and charity, and shared tips for reducing the chances of being scammed. Read a press release from the AG's office.

TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. expressed support for Tennessee attorneys and the communities affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as colleagues in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina, saying, “We are saddened by the devastation to our communities and the losses sustained by so many. Many lawyers across the southeast have been affected by the flooding and other wind damage. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected. We will be looking at ways to assist in the weeks to come.” In Tennessee, significant flooding and power outages have affected the eastern part of the state. Gov. Bill Lee issued Executive Order 105 on Friday, declaring a state emergency. A federal disaster declaration followed, providing public assistance in eight counties, primarily focused on emergency work and repair or replacement of damaged facilities. For those impacted by the storm, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services' website Help4TN has legal information and resources, and individuals with disaster-related legal questions may call 844-HELP4TN. Resources for lawyers interested in helping are available on the TBA website. Tennessee lawyers in need of assistance may contact TBA Access to Justice Director Liz Todaro. The American Bar Association lists opportunities to help lawyers in other states on its disaster webpage.

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.