On Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced the immediate release of $32 million in Emergency Relief funding for the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate release of $32 million in Emergency Relief funding for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Officials said these funds serve as a quickly released “down payment” to help support emergency repair work amid the storm damage in the Volunteer State.
“As recovery operations continue, this emergency transportation funding will help Tennessee address immediate needs on the path to recovery, and more support will be available as further requests come in,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to helping communities recover and rebuild, which includes restoring transportation networks and key routes.”
“Our top priority is to support the communities around Tennessee impacted by Helene and our teams have been working tirelessly, shoulder-to-shoulder, alongside Tennesseans to support emergency efforts,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “This funding is a really important step on the road to recovery and helps the state immediately put it to good use to help communities recover and rebuild.”
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s response to Helene, USDOT said it’s supporting recovery efforts in communities impacted by the storm. Not only has Buttigieg received regular briefings from USDOT operating administrations and communicated with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, but he also visited FEMA Headquarters this week to be briefed on the ongoing impacts of Helene, as well as the emergency response and recovery actions. In addition, he joined his Cabinet colleagues to brief President Joe Biden at the White House.
According to officials, Helene caused widespread infrastructure damage throughout Tennessee, especially in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties. That damage includes roadway washouts, culvert loss, and a need for bridge repairs and replacements, resulting in the closure of Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.
The USDOT said TDOT will use these Emergency Relief “quick release” funds to restore essential traffic on I-40, I-26, and other state routes in order to to provide critical connections to impacted areas and restore regional travel.
The FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides funding to states, territories, tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These Emergency Relief funds, provided through the “quick release” process, are an initial installment of funds toward restoring this essential transportation link. Additional funds needed to repair damage in Tennessee will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations.
The FHWA Emergency Relief program complements Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and provisions by encouraging agencies to identify and implement measures to incorporate resilience in the design, restoration, and repair of damaged infrastructure, to better withstand future damage from climate change and future weather events.
Press release from the USDOT’s FHWA
Officials said Tennessee requested and the FHWA approved the quick release amount. This news comes after $100 million in quick release funding was provided to North Carolina earlier in the day on Saturday, Oct. 5, and $2 million was given to South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 4 to help with damage from Helene.
To learn more about the FHWA’s Emergency Relief program, follow this link.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting applications for disaster assistance following the severe flooding caused by Helene in the eastern part of the state. Those eligible for the Individual Assistance program may receive help with rental assistance, home repair, personal property replacement, and other uninsured or underinsured disaster losses. If you want to apply for FEMA assistance, you can call 1-800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET, or go to FEMA’s website.
For more information about the Volunteer State’s response to Helene, check out the latest report from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.