Federal Disaster Declaration Granted to 10 Tennessee Counties Recovering from October Storm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced today the federal government has granted his request for a Major Disaster Declaration to make federal recovery assistance available to 10 county jurisdictions impacted during October’s severe weather and straight line winds.

“The devastating severe weather required a comprehensive response and stretched many local jurisdictions to their resource limits,” Gov. Lee said. “We are committed to supporting these communities and to securing the necessary resources for their recovery efforts.”

The following counties are included in the declaration: Benton, Decatur, Hardin, Henderson, Houston, Humphreys, McNairy, Montgomery, Perry, and Wayne.

The major disaster declaration covers damage from the Oct. 26 severe weather, and will allow government entities and certain private non-profits in the eligible counties to apply for reimbursement of specific expenses related to the disaster under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program.

Information about FEMA's PA program and its eligible reimbursement categories is at: https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.

The federal declaration also makes Tennessee eligible for the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, https://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program, which provides assistance to communities to prevent or reduce long-term risks to life and property from natural hazards.

The 10 counties combined reported more than $21.8 million in storm damage to local infrastructure and for their emergency response work.

About the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency: TEMA’s mission is to coordinate preparedness, response and recovery from man-made, natural and technological hazards in a professional and efficient manner in concert with our stakeholders. Follow TEMA on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and, at www.tn.gov/tema.

Attachments: Press Release