A tarp protects a storm-damaged house in Cleveland, Tenn.HOW TO HELPThe Salvation Army’s distribution center in Cleveland is still looking for volunteers and donations. To sign up, stop by the center at 2960 Barneys Lane.Starting Aug. 1, center hours will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Friday.The center stills needing the following items:• Furniture• Laundry detergent• Dish detergent• Cleaning supplies• Toilet paperIF YOU GOWhat: Bradley County town hall meetingsWhen: 5-7 p.m. nightly• Tonight – Hopewell Elementary School• Tuesday – Parkview Elementary School• Thursday – Waterview Baptist Church• Friday – Freedom Fellowship ChurchSTILL NEED HELP?The deadline for FEMA applications from Bradley County is Aug, 9. Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). People with speech or hearing disabilities may call TTY 1-800-462-7585 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. Or visit www.disasterassistance.gov.
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Bill Chapman has been camping out in the front yard of his parents’ home in the Dalton Pike area of Cleveland, Tenn., since two oak trees smashed through the house’s roof and the floor split down the middle in the April 27 tornadoes.
He’s waiting there, cooking with propane gas and trying to stay out of the sun, until his parents’ insurance company agrees to pay what he says should be fairer compensation for the house’s damage.
“The whole structure needs to be rebuilt, and the insurance company wants to patch it,” he said. “I’ve had contractors tell me the house can’t be saved, but their engineers say it just needs a new roof.”
One street over, Angie Morrow and her husband take turns switching between their tarp-covered home and a rental, trapped until they have an insurance estimate for a roof replacement. They know the insurance likely won’t cover enough, but FEMA won’t step in until they have the insurance company’s precise estimate.