Federal aid rolls in as Obama declares disaster for Tennessee

Federal aid began rolling into flood-ravaged Tennessee Tuesday, as U.S. President Barack Obama declared a major disaster exists in the southern state.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency made available a series of federal assistance programs for Tennessee, including rental payments for temporary housing, grant for home repairs and replacement, unemployment payment for workers who lost jobs because of the disaster, low interest loans to cover residential losses and business losses.

Obama earlier in the day declared a major disaster exists in Tennessee, making federal funding available to affected individuals in areas affected by the flood that had killed 19 people since Saturday.

Aid is not the only thing that's coming from Washington DC. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corcker, senators representing Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, both came to inspect the damage Tuesday.

After inspecting water-flooded downtown areas, Corcker said what they are trying to do is to coordinate relief efforts more closely at federal level, while Alexander urged people to document their losses so that they can be eligible for federal assistance.

"We are gonna do everything we can to make sure what the federal government can do is done," said Alexander.

Source:Xinhua