knoxville news
knoxville news knoxville advertising entertainment knoxville obituaries rss linkedin twitter facebook contact smoky mountains knoxville legal notices knoxville classifieds travel knoxville sports business lifestyle knoxville daily sun
menu 2 knoxville food about knoxville daily sun things to do in knoxville
 
 

Flood Ready Tennessee welcomes EMA Directors to coalition
January 12, 2022


NASHVILLE – Flood Ready Tennessee, a group of Tennessee mayors, elected officials, emergency managers, homeowners, and business leaders advocating for a state-wide flood preparedness plan announced today that more than 10 Emergency Management Directors have joined the coalition. The new Emergency Management Director members are:

David Breeding, Claiborne County
Jimmy Erwin, Unicoi County
Edwin Hogan, Cheatham County
Jeremy Holley, Giles County
Chad Leming, Monroe County
Charles Parker, Dekalb County
Heather Sipe, Greeneville/Greene County
Tyler Smith, Putnam County
Rusty Sells, Washington County
Tim Suter, Roane County
Hunter Winfrey, Fayette County
Jody Zorsch, Morgan County






“Flooding has devastated my county time and time again, and as an emergency management director, I know firsthand how much floods cost homeowners, business owners, and taxpayers every time it rains,” said Edwin Hogan, Director of the Cheatham County Emergency Management Agency. “We know the storms are going to happen, we know what areas flood frequently, and we know the people who are at risk. It’s time to use that data to help our communities mitigate the next disaster.”

Every dollar spent on preparation for flooding saves up to $12. Flooding occurs more than once every 3 days across the state. It’s much more cost effective to prevent flood damages than to react after devastation has occurred.

“We welcome these EMA Directors to the Flood Ready Tennessee coalition. These are the people who know how to deal with disasters and want to see Tennesseans better prepared for when the next one strikes,” said Dwain Land of The Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council. “After 2021, flooding is at the forefront of most Tennessean’s minds. There are so many resources out there that we can use to create a proactive solution that will work for Tennessee. It’s important that we don’t sit by and watch as other states prepare while we let our own citizens suffer from repeat flooding, losing their homes and livelihoods again and again.”






To address this, Flood Ready Tennessee is calling on leadership to establish a statewide resilience plan, a state revolving loan fund, and infrastructure investment to mitigate flood damage. Other southern states like Florida, Texas, and South Carolina are paving the way when it comes to preparedness. Through thoughtful infrastructure investments and demonstrating smart stewardship of taxpayer dollars, lives and local economies can flourish in Tennessee.

About Flood Ready Tennessee
Flood Ready Tennessee is a coalition of elected officials, homeowners, small business owners, faith leaders, and community members across the state dedicated to making Tennessee resilient against the impact of frequent flooding. Across Tennessee, flooding is widespread, destructive, and costs Tennessee taxpayers and individuals an average of $243 million each year. Flood Ready Tennessee believes Tennessee should take executive and legislative steps to better prepare for future floods and avoid damage by investing in statewide coordination efforts, green infrastructure solutions, and hazard mitigation. For more information about Flood Ready TN, please visit www.floodreadytn.com.
















knoxville daily sun Knoxville Daily Sun
2022 Image Builders
User Agreement | Privacy Policy