Flood Damage Assessment and Assistance

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
[email protected]
(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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Flood Damage Assessment and Assistance

Posted: 02/28/2019
  CALL THE 311 CENTER
  You can call 3-1-1 or 865-215-4311 to report significant flood damage 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
  OR
  FILL OUT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FORM
  The Damage Assessment Form is to help collect information for the initial damage assessment of the Knoxville-Knox County area. This info will be forwarded to TEMA to help seek federal assistance for our community.
   
Flood damage assessment and cleanup continues throughout the region. Property owners in Knoxville and Knox County are encouraged to contact 3-1-1 (or 865-215-4311) or fill out the Damage Assessment Form to report significant flood damage to their personal or commercial property.

Damage assessment is the first step in seeking federal assistance for our community. The damage assessment will be forwarded to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), which will collect data from multiple communities to see if the damage estimate reaches a threshold to qualify for application for possible federal assistance. 

If federal assistance becomes available, local media outlets will provide guidelines and individuals that have reported damage to 3-1-1 will be contacted with additional information. Federal assistance is not guaranteed for our region, but the information gathered through reporting to 3-1-1 will greatly assist in determining eligibility.

A Crisis Cleanup Help Line is in place for people who need help with muck-out, debris removal, and home cleanup from the recent flooding. The Crisis Cleanup Help Line is a toll-free call to 1-833-556-2476. The number is staffed 24/7 and will be available through March 15, 2019. Callers should be ready to provide their name and contact information, and a brief description of their issue to the relief agency representative who answers the Help Line.  While assistance is not guaranteed, Crisis Cleanup connects disaster survivors with trusted relief agencies and keeps personal information confidential. 

Damaged properties reported to 3-1-1 may be verified by uniformed first responders or government employees. If homeowners or business owners see a uniformed first responder, they should not be startled. The Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Fire Department, Rural/Metro Fire Department, Karns Fire Department, Seymour Volunteer Fire Department, and Knox County Sheriff’s Office as well as City and County employees are currently conducting damage assessments throughout Knoxville and Knox County.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided guidelines and information on returning to flooded buildings (https://bit.ly/2vFUpDx) and on repairing flooded homes (https://bit.ly/2EB4aK9).