Cohen Announces National Emergency Grant Worth $3.5 Million to Create Jobs, Help With Flooding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced Tennessee will receive a National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor worth $3,589,704 to create approximately 480 temporary jobs for eligible dislocated workers to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts as a result of the effects of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and associated flooding.

“This National Emergency Grant will help create much needed jobs in Shelby County,” said Congressman Cohen. “These new federal funds will also help Shelby County in its efforts to clean-up and recover from the devastating weather we’ve recently experienced. Memphis and Shelby County still need help recovering from the flooding and I will continue to pursue assistance from the federal government.”

The new federal funds will be used to provide temporary employment on projects to assist with clean-up, demolition, repair, renovation, and reconstruction of destroyed public structures, facilities, and lands within the affected communities, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid, and safety assistance as needed.

On May 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared the following counties in the State of Tennessee as eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program: Bradley, Greene, Hamilton and Washington. On May 9, FEMA declared the following additional counties in the State of Tennessee as eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program: Benton, Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, Montgomery, Obion, Shelby, and Stewart. These counties are targeted to receive assistance under this grant.

Congressman Cohen has toured the flooded areas in Memphis and Shelby County and met with Governor Bill Haslam to encourage him to apply for federal assistance. The Memphis Congressman also joined his colleagues in the Tennessee Congressional delegation in requesting federal assistance from President Obama and joined the President on his recent trip to Memphis to meet with families affected by the flooding.