KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Governor Bill Lee said state lawmakers could hold a special session to address flood relief. Lee made those remarks at the Governor's Conference on Thursday but pointed out that nothing is set in stone yet.
"We've certainly talked about, do we need to have some sort of an emergency plan for flood relief," Lee said. "But there's been no plans to call a special session other than for potential flood relief that's coming to those counties."
A total of 13 East Tennessee counties are eligible for a program by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that benefits local governments and some non-profits.
Claiborne, Grainger, Sullivan, Jefferson, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties can apply for the FEMA Public Assistance program. It gives supplemental grants to local governments and some non-profits for things like debris removal, life-saving protective measures and restoration of public infrastructure.
Sevier County can also receive some aid but not as much as the other counties.
Anyone in those counties who is eligible to benefit from the Individual Assistance program can apply online. They can also call 1-800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. EST for help applying.
FEMA also said that as of Wednesday, federal disaster assistance has surpassed $344 million and has impacted around 375,000 households in its response to Hurricane Helene. It said it has shipped more than 17 million meals, around 14 million liters of water and 210 generators.