Nashville Standard

United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with the entire Tennessee delegation, have sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration. This request follows severe storms and tornadoes that affected the state from May 8-9, 2024.

The severe weather resulted in three fatalities and damage to 459 homes in Tennessee, with 137 of these homes either destroyed or suffering major damage.

The letter addressed to President Biden states: "We write to urge swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act due to severe weather that occurred on May 8-9, 2024."

The correspondence details the impact of several rounds of severe thunderstorms that hit Tennessee during this period. The storms were characterized by an outflow boundary moving southward from Kentucky into Tennessee, combined with warm, unstable air and strong upper-level atmospheric dynamics. These conditions led to additional waves of storms throughout the day, including isolated supercell thunderstorms and a broken squall line. Both types produced tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall.

The Tennessee Department of Health attributed three deaths to these storms. Additionally, 459 homes were damaged statewide, with 137 either destroyed or suffering major damage.

Governor Lee is specifically requesting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for Cannon, Giles, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, and Sumner Counties, along with Hazard Mitigation statewide.

The letter concludes: "On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we urge you to approve this request as soon as possible. Our offices can provide you with any additional information you need."