Storm Shelter Grant Program in Tennessee

Please help institute grant-funding for TN residents, wishing to provide a "safe area" for family and friends, in the event of a dangerous storm, of which there are many; I see Arkansas has such a program, yet residents of TN don't? This shouldn't be the case; One's safety should never be b/c they simply can't afford to be safe b/c of "dollars-and-cents! Thank-you, Sinc., -Thomas Wynn Memphis, TN

As native newyorkers now living in Nashville tn, there is a great concern for having a safe room in our home that is being built. However, like so many have stated the price tag for such safety is high and I believe the good people of Tennessee should be provided assistance to keep ourselves, family and loved ones safe!

LONG OVER_DUE

Storm shelters are expensive. Financial help would be a great help. Thanks.

it would be very helpful, it seems like every year at least one tornado will come within a few miles of my house, I live about 12 miles from the nearest town that has some kind of public shelter.

Even if it just helps to offset the installation costs, TN needs to encourage residents to implement measures that can reduce loss of life due to windstorm events.

I would love to see a grant for this. I need it!

The tornado that hit Holly Springs was only 30 minutes from my house. A grant for our area just like in MS would be wonderful!

No storm shelters anywhere near us. Most people say go in a closet. I would prefer a shelter, but too expensive.

We desperately need help with some grants for protection. I work, and have worked all my life and SOME help is what the working people of Tennessee deserve!

I was surprised TN does not provide grants. I am in Hardeman County and we get the severe weather coming from MS. TN needs grants!

I will be a resident of WHite Bluff TN next month. This is considered an extreme risk area for tornadoes and I think it is ridiculous that even though it is a qualified provision-Tennessee chooses not to offer rebates for residential storm shelters. Once my family and I are in our new house in TN, we will be, as we always have been, in a very rural area. Leaving during a storm to get to a public shelter is simply not an option.

We will moving to Tennessee within a few months. We are originally from the midwest and are very aware of how random and dangerous tornadoes can be. We plan on purchasing a safe-room since most new homes have no basements. A rebate program is a necessity in TN. which is tornado prone.

ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED IN TENNESSEE FOR STORM SHELTER FUNDING.

The sirens in our town go off frequently. We need assistance of any kind in installing storm shelters or safe rooms.

Going to be moving there soon

I have felt strongly that something has needed to be in place for several years now. Every year the state of Tennessee will face tornadoes. It is inevitable, and unfortunately there will be people who lose their lives to these storms.

We are a low income family of 4 and I am disabled. People like us and others could use a program like this.

I am a single 61 year old woman, I cant build one of these myself.

I live in a mobile home in Lexington, Tn we heed a strom shelter but can't afford one our states get help we need it too

The state should give grants to people who live in high risk area like where I'm from. We get way to many tornados through here

I'm living in Roane co. Tn. Within 1/4 mile from Tiger Haven.(300 tiger,lions etc) I'm in a wheelchair ,unable to walk. If there's a tornado,I wouldn't be able to leave,and I don't have a storm cellar, and what can I do? What if all those animals get out? Who would help?

I own property in Perry County, Tn near Lobelville and live full-time in an RV often for several months in Perry County. I would like to have financial assistance installing a storm shelter on my property.

would like financial assistance with installation of Storm Shelter

I own property in Perry County TN.

My wife live out in the country by ourselves but sometimes have granddaughters over. I am disabled

We live very rural on top of a ridge and would love TN to offer grants for storm shelters. It would make alot of people more safe.

We were 1 mile from an ef2 tornado that touched down. We had damage..plus debris in our yard from other homes. No where to go. We are building a shelter from retirement funds there should be some kind of assistance to the residents

I live in Montgomery Co. We have been hit several times. We are always in the path.

I live in a mobile home and we'very had tornadoes in Selmer at least twice in the past few years. I am needing one, but with limited income, it will put a hardship on me.

I live in a mobile home and we'very had tornadoes in Selmer at least twice in the past few years. I am needing one, but with limited income, it will put a hardship on me.

We live in a rural area and I feel it's important to have a safe place for your family during tornados

I fully support this petition.

Protect our citizens

All Tennessee citizens deserve the safety provided by storm shelters. Please implement a rebate program to help those that struggle to fund the cost.

I and my family and many others on my road in the county live in montro homes or a trailer I need something

Friendship but still in dyer county. I understand we've got community shelters in dyersburgs but what do us folks do when we live outside of town per-say 15 minutes away. We need a grant granted for people of low income or those who have served/still serving their country.

I believe all states in the "Alley" need this!

I am on Social Security now, but tornadoes have hit our town 3 times in the past few years. In 1991 one hit Locke Brothers Lumber Company only a couple minutes after I left. It caused thousands of dollars damage. We need this. I had one installed, but had to borrow money to do so. It would be great if I were reimbursed.

I own a home in Tennessee and currently live there part-time. Will soon be living there permanently. Two of my TN neighbors have had homes and barns damaged by tornadoes. I was surprised to learn the state does not offer grant funding for safe room construction. Please Tennessee State legislators, help your residents be safe by offering funding for qualified safe rooms.

I live at 2935 Hillhurst Drive Nashville TN 37207 We have experienced 2 tornados in our area this season.

Live in a mobile and would really like to be able to have a safe place in severe weather

I would love to see Tennessee pass a grant to help home owners in the purchase of a tornado shelter. In actuality, This should have been done years ago.

Just had resent storm damage that could have been totally distrustive. I need a storm shelter to protect my family

We are in tornado alley help me pay for protection

I would love a storm room to protect my family but cannot afford it

If this is a democracy why are we letting one guy make a decision for the entire state.

Maybe the recent Tornado will convince more people of the need. This one hit too close to home.

Considering our home (a modified trailer) was hit by an EF 1 tornado a few weeks ago and our neighboring city was victim to an EF 4 tornado just days ago, i feel that a program such as this, is an absolute MUST

Just lived through 10 tornadoes in TN

If this tornado had it us it would have destroyed our home. We prayed out loud to God to protect us and it turned to the right at the last minute.

Just recently Nashville & Putnam County was hit hard by a F3 & F4 (I think this may have been the same storm but gained strength) and it eventually passed over our house dropping very large hell (didn't touch down thank God but was very scary). The aftermath ended up costing at least 24 people their lives. I believe it is imperative for the government to provide safety first and foremost above anything else (I'm a USMC Veteran). In my opinion, Tornado shelters are part of that, especially, if cities and counties are going to use building codes, etc. to tax citizens and prevent them from building their own. Furthermore, God has blessed my wife and I to be able to afford the things we need. However, some are not as fortunate. It's for those individuals I am signing this petition.

After recent EF 3/4 tornados on 3/3/2020. We need shelters

This is definitely needed

Much needed

We were hit by tornado in 2006

We've dodged several tornado storms. I don't want my 7 yr old son screaming in fear any longer

Yes we would like to be contacted about the grant program.

Need funds to build a Tornado safe room

Please please please!!!

Tennessee needs this grant. I, for one would take advantage of this grant. With the increase of tornadoes that we have seen over the last few years we need this. After all isn't it about saving lives Tennessee?

We have had more tornados in our area than the last 40 years living in Tennessee. My husband and I are over 65 yrs and disabled. We need help.

MUCH needed. We've just had two major bouts of tornados in just the past few weeks with many deaths! We need help now!

Something we need as Dixie ally is much more active now with deadly tornadoes.

We need a storm shelter, fixed income.

I ask Tennessee state leadership to take the necessary steps toward meeting FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program eligibility requirements, which would allow residents access to these funds. In West Tennessee we do not have enough community-access storm shelters. Individual residential shelters are cost-prohibitive to many families. Families who wish to have a sense of calm and protection in a time when, to many people, there seems to be an ever-increasing prevalence of severe and often long-track tornadoes. Tennessee residents share in these risks along with neighboring states who's residents already have access to partial funding sources. Please consider our request.

I think it is urgent that Tennessee be included in FEMA grant money to help obtain residential and community shelters. Warnings have improved with advances in technology, but the ability to protect yourself has not.

Feeling the urgent need for a safe room.

The grant program in Arkansas was wonderful. They helped us install a shelter at our house after a tornado seriously damaged our town only a mile or two away. It was wonderful. And it was big enough for most of the people in our neighborhood. Such a relief! Tennessee NEEDS this! Please get this going here!

I would love to see this expanded to include all of TN. We’ve been hit several times with devastating tornados over here in East Tennessee

This is needed. So many homes lack basements in TN, resulting in shelter purchases. A rebate would help.

After March 3, 2020,all structures in Dixie Alley and Tornado Alley should be required to have storm shelters.

I would like to have a safe shelter for my family

We do not have a basement or any protection against a tornado.

Let's learn from those states who have made tornado-planning mistakes - the same mistakes that Tennessee and it's dismissive TEMA staff seem hell-bent on copying over the past 10 years. A rebate program is a proven, effective way of helping protect the most people possible in the event of a tornado. Why not allocate at least some funds for that instead of expensive public construction projects that relatively few can take advantage of, endanger the lives of those who seek safety in dangerous storms, and in the end largely benefit only the contractors and politically corrupt who reap donations and "gifts" from the former. It is criminally incompetent/negligent for TEMA and Tennessee to continue down this road, and even more blood will be on their hands if they don't change course.

Storm shelters are needed in our area due to the increase in events we are having each year. I live in an area where few homes have basements.

Have property in TN. Divide time between Florida & TN. Officially resident of Florida. Looking to build storm shelter in TN.

2 seniors, one a diabled vet.

I believe all of TN should be included in this grant as we have watched 2 tornados

Major tornado damage has struck very close to my home 3 times now,with one actually doing damage to my home. Last years Easter storm was just down the road from us yet again

I am 79 and retired and can’t get around like I used to any assistance for a tornado safe product would be appreciated

Individual storm shelters save lives. Please review current funding plan.

Just recently moved here. Just last night we had very scary moments with the storm from yesterday the same one that hit Alabama. We really would like to buy a shelter for our family. We couldn’t sleep the whole night with the sounds of our trees and the howling winds. With a shelter in place we can put our minds at ease that we can safely go into if the danger is there.

we need funding in our state for storm shelters, the tornado season seems to get more dangerous every year in Tn

we have the only basement in our area in middle TN. we have invited some neighbours down to shelter thru some of the resent storms, but have the capacity to help more. We could use help to develop a better serve our local area. Need help with securing a better, storm ready, environment.

Much needed program in TN. Frequently we have monster storms blow through that have the potential to have a very devastating effect to homeowners. This rebate program will minimize the loss of life for those that choose to buy one of the shelters.

Tornadoes are and have been bad in middle Tennessee and just going to get worse with climate change

I’ve been looking into storm shelters in truly want one due to having two small children but they are so costly we can’t afford it

We were hit directly by the March 2020 tornado. It was traumatizing and would love to be able to get a storm shelter for better safety next time.

Just purchased a home and in the process of making this home permanent.

Grant for storm shelter

Not a full time resident but spend much time in a home we own in Tn. Tornado had caused severe damage to brothers home few yrs ago within eyesight and several other homes completely devastated and loss of life. Have had to spend all night awake watching weather channel during severe storms because emergency weather channel reception is weak. A safe room would be a great piece of mind.

This is a need in Tennessee.

This is needed. FEMA provides money for communities, but there are allot of private residence that have place to go within their own home. The building community and building codes to not make contractors provide this type of construction.

I want a storm shelter on my property and was looking for assistance programs but they don't seem to exist even though my area is a very high risk. Most people can't afford a storm shelter without the costs offset. This should be a priority for every representative in TN.

This is a public necessity. Storms are only getting worse.

Would love to see some type of help with the storms getting so frequent Thank you Ronnie Howard

we just had a 4 in the morning bad storm again and thank god we are still here small place out of town in a tiny home and no where safe to go

With ever increasing storm frequency and magnitude, its imperative that the state of TN join the initiative to fund grant programs that incentivize tornado shelters for individual home use in order to better project its citizens.

i live in a single wide mobile home and worry when theres any bad weather

We desperately need a safe place to go in East Nashville.

I got hit by feb.5, 2008 tonado,tornado, took everything we had,and many close one since,a storm shelter for us would be so amazing!!

After the tragedy of the Dec 10 2021 Quad State Tornados, it should be clear TN homeowners need storm shelters instead of just hoping a tornado won’t hit. The frequency and severity of these storms has been worse than ever. Please don’t turn a deaf ear to this issue.

I live in a Mfg. home and worry every time there is a storm.

I am having a shelter install the end of January 2022 . Would be nice to see a grant to help pay at least part of this .

Just saw that AL announced a new tax credit.

need a safe place to survive the wild storms

Barely missed my home two years in a row, now. I need help.

Did get hit in 2020 Chattanooga Easter Tornado. It Would be nice to get a tax credit for a FEMA Approved Storm Shelter

Tennessean's need this help now more than ever.

Thanks for getting this started Ed. Right now our state officials are doing the easier wrong, vice the harder right, in ignoring the need to have a FEMA grant program in place to partner and support the installation of residential shelters by their constituents. This goes a long way in easing the burden on Emergency Services, which in turn saves the state dollars and resources during the critical first responder stage of any major storm disaster.

Ohio Has a great program and I would encourage Tennessee to model Safe Room Grant Program after it. Thank you.

December 2021 Tennessee is at all time high rate of tornados. Most rural Tennessean's live in mobile single wide and double wide homes and do not have an extra $10,000 to put in a storm shelter. We need help on cost. Towns that are close together can do Community Shelters. Rural Residents further apart need help on smaller Family Centered Shelters.

Was wondering if there was any help to put a storm shelter in my house

I want to build a storm shelter but can’t afford it and a grant or help from my state to stay safe would be so great i live on fixed income and need help todo it

It is high time this is implemented, the weather will be getting more ferocious.

Seeking info on FEMA storm shelter grant.

FEMA provides funds for Tennessee, so why is none available for residents.

Is Tennessee really going to wait until a major tornado disaster kills enough people to get their attention? What happened to being proactive?

Hoping this passes

I need a storm shelter

I ordered my shelter today. Pretty sad that Alabama provides assistance and Tennessee does not. Thats ok I will keep my family safe no matter what it cost.

I recently asked my TN representative and was told TN doesn't participate in FEMA grants for shelters which is a mix of emotions because TN is #1 in the nation for nighttime tornadoes and climate change is not going away. It is negligent for our state not to participate in life saving funds when the threat will only increase. There is no reason I can come up with other than having resources to get and disperse the funding. Surely we can make that happen for such an important goal, even on a small scale, it would impact many peoples lives on a long term outlook. Building community shelters is another resource that TN should be planning.

Some homes do not include a basement & hiding in a bathroom is in no way close enough fo be safe. We had a tornado touch down last year literally a block away last year & the power it produced was insane! I've never been afraid of storms, I now suffer extreme anxiety when it storms. If there are programs out there already to help with reimbursement for people who take it upon themselves to protect there family from things like this that frequent Tennessee, then the state should offer assistance.

Moving in 2023 and would build shelter with home!

Yes!

As a brand-new resident of Tennessee, the two tornado warnings/watches (one in which we had to leave our home due to NO shelter options on our property) in the past month are my very first experiences with this aspect of mother nature. It was terrifying and left me feeling very upset, vulnerable, and generally unsafe. (Just the thunderstorms are nerve-wracking enough, let alone dealing with the danger of tornadoes!) I'm already fearing and dreading "tornado season" coming in the spring now, and it has been enough to make me rethink living in this otherwise beautiful, peaceful state. I don't think there's any "getting used" to this at this point in my life. This is a very real danger to all of us and there is no outrunning it - storm shelters need to be an affordable solution for all residents at their own homes. Tornadoes are no joke and can easily become life-or-death situations. I would appreciate being able to stay put at my property I've invested so much in already and feel safe - and not have to drive to the nearest school 15 minutes away hoping that I make it safely. There's not a lot of time - if any - to get anywhere, and it's not a matter of IF, but WHEN. It only makes sense that tornado/storm shelters should be an easily accessible option for all homes that are located in "Tornado Alley". I'm baffled, concerned, and a bit angry to find that they are not. I hope that changes real soon!

There should be grants available for people installing shelters.

For seniors on a fixed income it is difficult to afford a storm shelter.

I am building a home in Tennessee and would love to have assistance with funding a storm shelter for my family and close neighbors

I'd love to be able to have assistance with the cost of building this much needed safety structure.

Lets get help for us to build safe spaces!

Would like to have safe place for wife and myself to get to in case of another f4 tornado that destroyed lot of homes around us 12 10 22 lot of people had god on their side that night us included

yes

Yes contact me

I would love to see rebates for Storm Shelters being installed in homes

Our small town has no tornado sirens and no community safe places

Moving to Crossville, TN.

I have already been hit by a tornado. I need a tornado shelter. The closest public tornado shelter is 30 minutes away.

I live in an apt where there are 10 buildings. Two other large complexes are within a block or two. There should be a safe room either at each complex or an area where there are apt dwellers. Apt dwellers are sitting ducks.

I own 5 rental homes in western TN and will be moving there in 3 years. Would like to instal storm shelter but would like some govt reimbursement.

Storms in Hardin county have been know to be disastrous. We would like to be safe not sorry for not having one.

I wish to build a community shelter or for my neighbors

Death due to lack of shelters, whether personal or public, shouldn’t even be a “thing”!!!

Tipton Co

Would love to have one live in small house nowhere safe to go.

I live in a module home and these storm shelters are desperately needed. Lives can be saved with these

Would like info on installing shelter and possible grant

We’ve been needing this. Also can we get some help for people who are renting/paying for these homes. Not just homeowners

100% support! Let me know if/how I can help!

We need this. Alabama provides $3000 in re-imbursement.

Please get the storm shelter grant for Tennessee!

Yes, please get the storm shelter grant for Tennessee!!!

Why wait until there is yet another body count to add to the statistics to implement a program to assist in funding residential storm shelters? Enough money is wasted on pet projects and, for that matter, just wasted in general to fund a program such as this many times over.

The residents of TN need a rebate program

We need to have our Tornado shelters subsidized. They are too expensive otherwise.

I think this is a very valid point and as the storms and weather become more violent people will really need a safe place to go.

Just had a tornado hit our location 3/31/23

My two sons both lost there houses from the same tornado. They lived 5 miles apart. I and my daughter both almost lost ours.

In the past 2 months, 3 powerful tornadoes have touched down within 5mi of my family home. It is time to do something, but a storm shelter is prohibitively expensive!

I am a resident of Fayette County, TN who, given the severity of the storms during the past few years, is concerned that most homes in Western Tennessee do not provide adequate protection from high energy storms. The high cost and/or technical difficulty of personally building such a structure serve as a barrier to most residents placing a storm shelter on their property.

I’m trying to get a storm shelter but I don’t have a lot of money and I live in a single wide trailer

I’m disabled. So is my husband. Um afraid. We need this!

Tennesseans need this assistance now.

We need storm shelters

New Residents and after last springs tornadoes we are purchasing a Valley Storm above ground Shelter out of Huntsville Alabama to put in our garag.

This will help keep my family and other families safe. This should've been policy 15 years ago after Murfreesboro and the 2011 record outbreaks.

We had tornado last March ita been almost a year . If I could put up a storm shelter for me and my neighbors we would feel lot safer.

My local government doesn't provide a safe place and my family and I have to go to a close friends home to be safe.

We are seniors on fixed income. We are also veterans Navy husband Army Myself. We already purchased a shelter and could really use help to pay for it.

I live on Good Hope Church rd and its right off old stage rd and last march i witnessed neighbors losing everything.

Inwould live to be able to get a grant for a shelter cannot afford to get one on my own ty

Myself and my wife are both disabled and with the recent increase in High-risk storms, combined with the fact that we live in a rural area, we need to either build an underground shelter or a safe room in the garage that we can use in an emergency to to protect us. we are scared and need this since we are both on Social Security!

I want to help you!!

We were down the road from the EF3 tornado that took our neighbors homes. Storm shelter grants would be beyond greatly appreciated

Our neighborhood was recently impacted by an EF-3 tornado. These new quick built homes do not have a safe downstairs interior room, large enough for a family. We are thankful we weren’t home when the storm hit. We’re a family of 6, plus pets and our only room is a small pantry next to a hot water heater. We would love a grant to help us install a shelter in our garage.

This should be mandatory.

We need accessible shelters.

If you've ever been through tornado you'd help people that want one or at least have pet friendly one in every town something anything to help save lives

We now live in tornado alley and can’t afford all of a storm shelter.

There are just as much if not more tornadoes in West TN as of late than other states in Tornado Alley.

I was surprised that basements are not common here, but there is a high water table. I would like options to prepare for a tornado.

I don’t live in the US but this is week #2 of severe weather and I know for a fact I WOULD NOT REST easy knowing I was in a possible path of an EF1-5 tornado please make it AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE IN A POTENTIAL PATH..esp the kids at St.Jude..

In my 7 almost 8 years living here, the amount of tornado warnings I have been under has increased. Tornado shelters are now no longer a maybe but a necessity especially since my town has no community shelter.

People are dying from tornados. We can't all afford a storm shelter. We need help. My husband and I have to drive for miles for a community storm shelter that will accept our dog. We need something closer. One day we won't make it on time.

I was a resident in Clarksville, TN during the December 9, 2023 tornado. I was 5 months pregnant with my son when the tornado tore through our backyard. Thankfully, we are all safe but are traumatized from our experience. One of major reasons we left the state was due to extreme weather. A tornado shelter would have granted us peace of mind.

This is the second time my house has been hit in the 4 years I have been here. A program like this would be very beneficial for families whose house did not come with a storm shelter.

The State of TN needs to provide funding grants to it's residents to utilize for tornado shelters at their places of residence.

Even though our state is essentially bankrupt due to the Majority's financial mismanagement over the past 10-15 years, I believe that it is more than proper to provide means of care for its constituents, who are consistently violated by hostile weather systems. The money taxpayers provide should not go to the weaponization of politics and/or the creation of idealogues. The peoples of Tennessee need unequivocal support from the people they've elected and paid, and they need that support yesterday.

We’ve had tornado watches 4 days this week. There is no safe place in my house, with the best of the spots not very good at all. TN needs to accept that tornado valley is shifting eastward and do something about it.

Need to purchase/install a storm / tornado shelter.

Rural residents ans people living in trailers need to be given top priority for storm shelter subsidies.

With the number of tornadoes increasing in our area, this could be a life saving program

Apparently, other state governments value their citizens more than ours does.

Let's face it, tornado alley has shifted east and Tennessee is now apart of it. I live in a mobile home as does so many others and the peace of mind that a shelter would bring cant be put into words. I have gotten turned away from major retail stores when I tried to shelter from tornado warnings.

MS Residents have $3500 grants for residents who install storm shelters on their property, why not the same grants available to TN residents?

would like to put shelter in home in process of building

I am a senior citizen and need a grant so I can obtain a storm shelter