US Department of Labor awards $3.5M to continue disaster-relief jobs, training for Tennessee residents harmed by Tropical Storm Helene

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded incremental funding of $3.5 million to support disaster-relief jobs and continue employment training for Tennessee residents affected by Tropical Storm Helene. 

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm and quickly moved across the Southeast, weakening to a tropical storm that inundated eastern portions of Tennessee with floodwaters. The flooding led to deaths and damaged and destroyed businesses, homes and critical infrastructure.

In October 2024, the department’s Employment and Training Administration responded by awarding a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $5 million, with an initial award of $1 million, to assist with cleanup and recovery activities in 12 Tennessee counties affected by the storm. 

This Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant allows the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide people with temporary jobs focused on cleanup and recovery efforts, as well as provide employment and training services to storm-impacted individuals.  

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide a state or local board with funding for direct services and assistance in areas experiencing a major economic dislocation event that leads to workforce needs exceeding available resources.