Governor Bill Lee’s Office announced Thursday that $100 million in state funds have been made available for 13 Tennessee counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties are eligible to request immediate financial assistance through the new Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program.
Today, we announced the HEAL Program that will dedicate $100 million to assist East TN communities with recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
These no-interest loans will help impacted counties cover the initial costs of water & wastewater repair & debris removal.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) October 10, 2024
The HEAL Program is meant to provide immediate financial relief to the 13 counties impacted by the storm through no-interest loans while federal funds administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are being processed, according to the governor’s office.
“Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster for Tennessee, and many local communities don’t have the resources to recover on their own. Federal dollars will be available later, but these communities need immediate relief,” Lee explained in a statement.
“Tennessee’s record of fiscal conservatism has placed us in a strong financial position to make government work for the people and step up to help in this time of need,” Lee added.
Funds from the HEAL Program made available to the 13 eligible counties specifically address water and wastewater system damage and dangerous debris removal.
A total of $35 million will be allocated to address water and wastewater system damage. In comparison, $65 million will be divided equally among eligible economically at-risk and distressed counties to address dangerous debris removal.
“Work to remove dangerous debris and repair water and wastewater systems must begin immediately. Unfortunately, the damage is too extensive, and expense is too great for local jurisdictions to cover the cost of repairs and wait for FEMA reimbursement,” the governor’s office said.
TennCare Shared Savings fund the HEAL Program.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) administers the funds from the new program.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Hurricane Helene Damage” by Bill Lee.
