HUD SECRETARY DONOVAN AND COMMERCE SECRETARY LOCKE TO TOUR FLOOD-DAMAGED AREAS WITH MAYOR DEAN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2010
9:00 a.m.
EOC Media Desk
(615) 862-8540
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will join U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke tomorrow morning as they tour areas affected by the recent flooding in Nashville. The secretaries will assess the damage and discuss long-term recovery plans with local elected officials and community leaders.
The daily media briefing previously scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Joint Information Center has been postponed until 2:30 p.m. to accommodate the visit.
60 TRUCKS DISPATCHED TO FLOOD DAMAGED NEIGHBORHOODS
Starting at 6 a.m., Mayor Karl Dean will join Public Works officials tomorrow at LP Field when a fleet of at least 40 privately-contracted trucks will be dispatched with 20 Public Works vehicles to begin countywide disaster debris collections. Emergency contracts were finalized late Saturday allowing Public Works to proceed with hiring two Mobile, Ala. companies -- Storm Reconstruction Services, Inc., and The DRC Group -- that specialize in disaster recovery operations.
METRO SCHOOLS OPEN MONDAY
Metro Schools will be open Monday, May 10. For displaced families, or those who need a new school assignment, please call the MNPS Customer Service Center at (615) 259-INFO (4636) for information, assistance with school enrollment, free and reduced meals, school clothing or transportation needs. The center will be open from noon – 5 p.m. Sunday, May 9, and as early as 5:30 a.m. Monday. Parents are also encouraged to check www.mnps.org.
METRO WATER SERVICES UPDATE
The majority of the community has done a spectacular job conserving and we are beginning to see increases in the water reservoirs. The current reservoir levels are 78%, up from 65% this time yesterday.
On Sunday, Metro Water Services customers can do essential loads of laundry and dishes but we ask that water not be used in excess. Irrigation, car washes and other non-residential domestic use is not permitted. The effect of this water use on our reservoirs will be assessed and a decision Monday will be made regarding the continuation of water conservation efforts as we move forward. However, customers must remain vigilant about continued conservation.
The K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant continues to have around the clock staff and contractors working to restore operation. Electricity and internet connectivity has been restored. Divers will begin inspection of clear wells today and installation of the new instrumentation is expected to begin this weekend as well. The pumps and motors are still away being dried and repaired. There is still some assessment to be done and lots of repair work and disinfection to complete before it is operational and can be approved for production. MWS will continue working closely with TDEC during this process.
Contracted Street sweepers are being diverted from normal routes to impacted Metro roadways needing cleanup. These street sweepers are being filled with non-potable water collected from flooded basements and parking garages.
Bottled Water Distribution Centers
Bottled water distribution continues today at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Use of bottled water for drinking and cooking greatly assists with conservation of the city’s water supply. *THERE WILL BE AN ALLOWANCE OF 2 CASES PER VEHICLE.
- Nashville Fairgrounds at 500 Wedgewood Avenue
- Antioch Middle School at 5050 Blue Hole Road
- Bellevue Middle School at 655 Colice Jeanne Road
- Pearl Cohn High School at 904 26th Avenue North
- Bailey Middle School 2000 Greenwood Avenue
- Two Rivers Baptist Church at 2800 McGavock Pike
FLOOD RELIEF VOLUNTEERS URGED TO CARPOOL
An influx of volunteers, coupled with sightseers, has caused significant traffic congestion in some of the neighborhoods hardest hit by flood damage, particularly those in the Pennington Bend-Opryland and Sawyer Brown Road areas. The congestion is such that debris collection trucks are being impeded from their work.
The Metropolitan Police Department strongly urges volunteers to carpool into storm affected areas, or park in nearby church/business parking lots and walk into neighborhoods. Officers will be working to minimize congestion/gridlock on residential streets impacted by flooding.
Hands On Nashville is coordinating volunteer efforts. Citizens can register to volunteer at www.HON.org. Once registered, volunteers will be contacted with information regarding which of the six reception centers they should report to.
DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS
General Information
- Community Hotline 862-8574
- Metro Channel 3 (Cable Channel 3)
- 211
- FEMA Legal Help/Fraud Prevention Hotline 1-888-395-9297
Disaster Information Centers
Disaster Information Centers will be open this week from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Disaster Centers will remain open until FEMA centers are up and operational on the ground.
Centers provide food, water, personal hygiene supplies and information about city services and FEMA registration. Metro Public Health and Social Service case workers are on site.
The public can come to the Centers to pick up limited quantities of cleaning supplies to assist with home restoration efforts. This weekend, Centers will serve as staging areas for volunteer neighborhood clean up sweeps.
Centers are not equipped for emergency medical needs. Residents who have security and health emergencies should call 9-1-1. Disaster Information Centers are in the following locations:
- Bellevue Community Center, 656 Colice Jeanne Rd. 37221
- East Community Center, 700 Woodland Street, 37206
- Hermitage Community Center, 3720 James Kay Lane, 37076
- Hadley Community Center, 1037 28th Avenue North, 37208
- Coleman Community Center, 384 Thompson Lane 37211
Questions about Disaster Info Centers should be directed to Laurel Creech, Metro’s Chief Service Officer, via email at laurel.creech@nashville.gov.
FEMA Flood Relief Assistance
FEMA inspectors are contacting Tennessee disaster applicants who sustained losses from the storms, tornadoes and flooding. It is important to emphasize that legitimate FEMA inspectors will not ask for personal information, such as a Social Security number, or request payment at the time of the inspection. They will also wear an official FEMA photo ID badge.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties are urged to begin immediately applying for assistance by registering online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. When applying please have the following information available:
- Current telephone number
- Address at time of disaster and address where you are currently staying
- Your social security number, if available
- A general list of damages and losses
- If insured, the name of your insurance company and your policy number
- Bank account coding if you wish to speed up your assistance by using direct deposit
Individual assistance to homeowners and renters can include grants to pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other serious disaster related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs. Also, low interest loans are available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
A mobile Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) operated by FEMA and the state of Tennessee has opened at 100 Oaks Mall, 719 Thompson Lane. The center is open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., 7 days a week until further notice.
Red Cross Disaster Assistance
Red Cross Assistance is available by calling toll-free 1-866- GET- INFO (1-866-438-4636). Two Red Cross shelters remain open: Lipscomb University with 116 residents and capacity for 200 and the Al Menah Shrine center with 54 residents and capacity for 300. The Gordon Jewish Community Center shelter closed Saturday and the remaining 12 guests are being housed at Bellevue Church of Christ.
Other assistance being provided by the Red Cross includes:
- Fixed feeding sites at all shelters, as well as eight mobile feeding routes. Residents in need should look for ARC Emergency Response Vehicles in their neighborhoods.
- “Clean up kits” are available at the five Disaster Information Centers in Davidson County. The kits contain the following items: bleach, buckets, storage containers, coolers, work gloves, hand sanitizer, hoses with nozzle, insect repellent, dust masks, rakes, rope, shovel, sun screen, duct tape, and trash bags.
- In Davidson County, to date the Red Cross has provided 15,852 meals, 14,937 snacks, 3669 clean up kits, 2332 comfort kits, 700 health services contacts and 673 mental health contacts to affected families and individuals.
WATER RECOVERY TEAMS CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR MISSING PERSONS
Two water recovery teams continue to search for individuals that were reported missing last week. The locations are Mill Creek and the Harpeth River in Newsom Station.
DISASTER DEBRIS COLLECTION UPDATE AND GUIDELINES
Debris collection services continued Saturday in Bellevue's Boone Trace, Beech Bend and Harpeth Bend areas; West Hamilton, Morrow Road, Del Ray Drive communities in North Nashville; and Antioch neighborhoods along Wimpole Drive, Currey Road and Antioch Pike. Added were Pennington Bend communities along Steamboat Drive and Cain Harbor; East Nashville neighborhoods along Shadow Lane, McGinnis Drive, Welcome Lane and Moss Rose Drive; and the Waterford Subdivision in Old Hickory.
Besides hauling off debris for disposal, Metro Public Works employees, Davidson County Sheriff's Office Corrections Center crews and General Sessions Court Community Service workers are assisting neighborhood residents with separating debris and pulling it to the curb so trucks can collect it.
Residents are being asked to separate items into four piles: appliances and metals; construction and demolition; household trash and garbage; brush and other waste. All piles should be placed at the street. DO NOT put debris under TVA power lines or stack on/near NES equipment boxes. TVs, computers and other e-waste should be taken to any Metro Recycle Convenience Center.
A comprehensive plan and schedule for Metro’s countywide disaster debris collection will be available Monday.
Public Works roadway crews continue repairing roads, culverts and traffic signals countywide.
NASHVILLE ELECTRIC SERVICE UPDATE
NES Line crews continue to work on scattered outages replacing equipment as necessary. By Sunday afternoon, the downtown network should be back to normal operation. The Pinnacle remains off and other downtown businesses will be connected as NES receives Codes Releases.
NES underground field crews are requesting that debris NOT be placed on or near pad mount transformers. There have been instances of debris dropped near the Bellevue/River Plantation transformer site. This greatly hinders the speed of restoring power to this area.
If water got into the outlets, plugs, switches, panel box or meter base of any home or business, the owner MUST hire a licensed electrician to make the repairs, and have Codes inspect before NES can restore power. This particular safety issue CANNOT be waived.
NES will be waiving the following fees to FLOOD VICTIMS:
- $45 turn-on fee, same day service
- $30 turn on fee for future day service
- $225 temporary service fee
- $15 transfer fee (for customers who have to move to a new residence due flooding)
NES may expand its relief efforts for FLOOD VICTIMS ONLY and will have more information later.
DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ASSISTS WITH CLEAN UP EFFORTS
The Sheriff’s Department’s Correctional Services Center currently has 80 inmate workers with 20 staff members and 20 trucks clearing debris from severely affected areas. They’re also picking up and delivering goods, food boxes and water from Second Harvest to the Disaster Information Centers and the Food Box sites.
In the past week, Sheriff’s Dept. officials have:
- removed 252 tons of debris
- used approx. 700 inmate workers
- filled 34,200 sandbags w/ 500 tons of sand & hauled it to the three emergency locations.
- hauled approx. 2,000 food boxes to the disaster sites for distribution
- delivered 150 food boxes and 150 cases of water to neighborhoods to the stranded
The Transportation Division has been moving people from their homes to shelters as the calls come in. Approximately 53 persons and 12 animals have been transported from their homes to various shelters.
FREE TETANUS SHOTS SUNDAY
Metro Health will continue to offer Tetanus shots today. The vaccines will be available free to the public at each of the five Disaster Information Centers from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. while supplies last. Our clinics (Lentz, Woodbine, and East) will not be giving shots this weekend as they will be closed.
A new fact sheet regarding the need (or lack thereof) for tetanus vaccine (entitled "Do I Need A Tetanus Shot") has been posted to http://health.nashville.gov.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS CONTINUE
Metro Codes Department will be open for business Sunday from 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Inspectors from all divisions are on duty and damage assessment continues across the city.
COURTS TO RESUME ON MONDAY, MAY 10
All courts will be operational on Monday, including General Sessions courts (jail and bond dockets), criminal trial courts (all divisions), traffic court, environmental court (metro court - held on Wednesdays), grand jury, and juvenile court. Additionally, booking for state misdemeanor citations will be operational.
The Birch Building will be fully operational. If your case is scheduled for that location, it will be held there next week.
Juvenile cases will be held at various locations. All juvenile detention hearings will be held at the CJC in the old jail docket courtroom in the CJC building (Room 131 - second floor, above night court). The hearings will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and officers will need to be there at 2 p.m.
All other juvenile cases will be held in various locations on a temporary basis as described below:
- Judge Green - Historic Courthouse 510
- Magistrate Calhoun - Historic Courthouse 607
- Magistrate Crawford - Historic Courthouse 611
- Magistrate Lewis - Historic Courthouse 605
- Magistrate O’Neil - Criminal Justice Center Felony Jail Courtroom 131
- Magistrate Rosenberg - East MPD Precinct Trinity Lane
- Magistrate Griffin - East MPD Precinct Trinity Lane
- Magistrate Calloway - East MPD Precinct Trinity Lane
METRO WEBSITE FOR REPORTING FLOOD DAMAGE
Davidson County residents can now report their flood damage to a special website link to help Metro Government assemble the most complete and accurate data about the effects of last week's flooding. Report your flood damage at http://maps.nashville.gov/damage/ . There is also a “Report Flood Damage” link in the left hand column of the Nashville.gov/flood website.
The Nashville.gov flood damage site is NOT connected to relief efforts or emergency services – it will be for reporting property damage only. If you need disaster assistance, register with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA.