Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, announced today the launch of a new disaster preparedness website, located at LASdisasterpreparedness.org.
The website was developed in response to the series of natural disasters that have affected Tennessee in recent years, including the 2020 tornadoes in Davidson, Wilson, and Putnam counties and the 2021 flooding in Humphreys County. Its launch coincides with National Preparedness Month, running through the end of September, which urges Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies.
“While we can never predict disasters or be fully prepared for the devastation they cause, we can take steps in advance to hopefully alleviate the discomfort we experience and speed up our process of recovery afterward,” said DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid Society. “Disaster preparedness goes beyond safety planning, and we want to emphasize the importance of preparing and safely storing essential paperwork pre-disaster, such as advance care plans, powers of attorney, titles, deeds of property, citizenship verification, contracts, and agreements.”
LASdisasterpreparedness.org offers a range of disaster preparedness resources, including:
- Important documents to gather before an emergency.
- Advice on developing a disaster plan.
- A checklist of emergency supplies for a survival kit.
- Important things to know before experiencing a disaster.
- Legal resources for disaster survivors, including Legal Aid Society’s legal help clinics, where low-income residents can speak with an attorney about legal problems they’re experiencing and receive free assistance.
“Getting back to normal after a disaster is a daunting process that often involves navigating a number of legal hurdles,” Waller said. “When Middle Tennessee experienced natural disasters during 2020 and 2021, our staff and volunteer attorneys served as “suits on the ground” to help affected residents begin the process of recovering and rebuilding. We see this website as the next step — providing resources so families and businesses can be as prepared as possible for situations we hope they’ll never experience.”
About Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands advocates for fairness and justice under the law. The nonprofit law firm offers free civil legal representation and educational programs to help people in its region receive justice, protect their well-being, and support opportunities to overcome poverty. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way. Learn more at www.las.org or by following the firm on Facebook.
