NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee has announced a new financial initiative to support counties heavily affected by Hurricane Helene. This program, known as the Helene Emergency Assistance Loan (HEAL), will provide a total of $100 million in no-interest loans aimed at facilitating debris removal and the repair of water systems in the stricken areas.
The governor discussed this new program on Thursday, emphasizing that this funding will allow communities to manage immediate recovery efforts while waiting for federal aid to arrive. “Federal dollars will be available later, but these communities need immediate relief,” Lee remarked, highlighting Tennessee’s strong financial standing as a crucial asset in responding to this crisis. He expressed a commitment to ensuring that government resources are effectively utilized to assist citizens in their time of need.
The inception of the HEAL program stemmed from Lee’s conversations with a county mayor in East Tennessee, shortly after the hurricane caused widespread damage across the southern states. The mayor expressed concerns about meeting payroll amidst the expenses associated with recovery and cleanup, thus prompting the governor to devise a quick financial solution.
Under the plan, the funding will be split, with $35 million designated for repairing water and wastewater systems and $65 million allocated for debris clearance. This funding is being sourced from Tennessee’s Medicaid program, TennCare, which Lee asserts is aligned with the mission to support public health and welfare, elements that the loan program is primarily focused on enhancing.
The counties that qualify for this assistance include Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington. The state has reported that the devastation from Hurricane Helene has led to 17 fatalities, with several residents still unaccounted for. As recovery efforts strive to restore normalcy, many roads and bridges remain damaged amidst ongoing cleanup operations.
