Knoxville leaders are positioning the city to receive a Federal Disaster Declaration to help speed up the recovery from the late-February flooding.
The Knoxville City Council approved a resolution Tuesday night that would help speed up flood relief efforts, giving Mayor Madeline Rogero permission to apply for the declaration for the city if the state receives one from President Donald Trump.
►READ MORE: Rep. Burchett writes President Trump asking him to approve Gov. Lee's request for disaster relief
Initial estimates show Knoxville and Knox County suffered more than $11 million in damage from the February floods. That exceeds the federal requirement of $1.6 million in damage for public assistance.
"Rather than waiting until after the fact and further delaying things, the council went ahead and gave their permission for the mayor to apply for that. That way the stage is set. If we do get a federal disaster declaration, the city's ready to immediately act on that," Colin Ickes said, who's the director of the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency.
Governor Bill Lee has already requested for a Federal Disaster Declaration from the president for assistance to help 58 of Tennessee's 95 counties. More than 83 counties, though, reported some level of flood damage and severe weather impact since.