Gov. Lee signs emergency declaration request letter to Trump for Tennessee tornado damage

Apr. 22--NASHVILLE -- Gov. Bill Lee has signed a letter formally asking President Donald Trump to issue major disaster declarations for Hamilton, Bradley, Marion and six other Tennessee counties struck by Easter Sunday's deadly tornadoes.

Lee and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan announced the move during the governor's daily briefing on the coranavirus pandemic on Tuesday.

In addition to Hamilton, Bradley and Marion counties, the request for disaster financial relief includes Polk, Monroe, Scott and Washington counties.

All were struck by tornadoes or high winds late Easter Sunday or early the following morning on Monday. Winds killed three in Hamilton County, and flooding killed one in Marion County.

Sheehan said estimates for emergency efforts by first responders including fire, police and utility line workers as well as damage to some public structures -- excluding homes and businesses which remain under assessment -- total some $35 million.

"For all these other counties, that's for the public assistance programs, that's infrastructure response measures, debris," Sheehan said.

For Hamilton and Bradley, Sheehan said, "We also asked for individual assistance for the hundreds of Tennesseans whose homes, thousands of whose homes were damaged and hundreds who lost their homes or had severe damage to their homes.

"As of this morning, 537 Tennesseans were still sheltered by the American Red Cross and other partner organizations," Sheehan said. "Cleanup and recovery continues, local organizations and the National Guard are contributing in a number of ways.

Further damage estimates are expected later in the week.

Lee said, "We want folks in that part of the state to know we continue to stand with you. And we'll make every effort to make the recovery and the rebuilding of your community possible. And we want to do everything we can."

The governor also said, "We're particularly grateful for all that are engaging in that, from volunteers to law enforcement to frontline workers. We're grateful for all the work that's come together like Tennesseans do to respond to a tragedy like the one that unfolded on the night of Easter."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.

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