Hurricane Helene Recovery Resources for Tennesseans
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA): Click here to learn more about Hurricane Helene’s impact on Tennessee.
Applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance
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Online by visiting disasterassistance.gov.
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Calling 1-800-621-3362.
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Downloading and applying on the FEMA App.
Missing Individuals
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has established a hotline for individuals needing to report a missing person in the ongoing East Tennessee flood emergency: 1-800-TBI-FIND.
To report a missing child during a disaster, please also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which operates the National Emergency Child Locator Center, at 1-800-843-5678.
Tennessee Food and Shelter Operations
In Tennessee, food and shelter operations are ongoing. The Salvation Army has provided over 250 meals, 60 snacks and more than 180 beverages to survivors.
Eight shelters remain open, with decreasing populations as people are able to safely return home.
Power and cellular restoration continues to improve. Now less than 0.2% of customers are without power, and less than 15% of cellular sites are down. As of today, there are no counties with 50% or more cell sites out.
Small Business Resources
Business owners in declared disaster areas can apply for SBA assistance to help in the recovery. Apply for assistance here.
Get help with your application by calling 1-800-659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Local Resources
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)
Tennessee Department of Transportation Updates
Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency
Resources for recovering farmers can be found here. For questions or further assistance, you may wish to contact the Farm Service Agency’s help line: 877-508-8364
Resources for recovering veterans can be found here.
- For 24/7 crisis assistance, veterans can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 (Press 1), by texting 838255, or through the online chat. All others can contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or through the online chat.
- For any other concerns, veterans can call MyVA411 24/7 at 1-800-698-2411 and press 0 to speak to an agent immediately.
Resources for tax relief can be found here.
Resources for unemployment relief can be found here.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has more than 850 trained disaster workers providing comfort and operating shelters. They are also helping find loved ones through their helpline 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Reunification page, where you can enter pertinent information about the person you’re looking for. If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then*
*1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
People can receive free services like cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs, and mold mitigation with the help of Crisis Cleanup by calling 844-965-1386. The hotline is open through October 11 and can connect people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups, and the faith-based community, who may be able to assist.