NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s two U.S. senators and nine congressmen on Saturday urged President Donald Trump to quickly approve Gov. Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration for 58 counties hit by flooding and severe weather in February and March.
“On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Lee’s request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the flooding and severe storms that impacted our state beginning on February 6, 2019,” the letter says.
The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn as well as Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais, John Rose, Tim Burchett and the other five Tennessee congressmen.
The lawmakers thanked Trump for his administration’s “ongoing response,” specifically the Federal Highway Administration making $10 million immediately available to help repair roads damaged by flood and landslides.
“However,” lawmakers wrote, “the severe storms that swept across the State of Tennessee beginning on February 6th brought severe storms and flooding that cost the state over $151 million,” lawmakers noted, citing Federal Emergency Management Agency and State joint Preliminary Damage Assessments in affected counties.