Tennessee – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that President Donald Trump has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for the state, unlocking federal assistance for communities impacted by the severe weather and tornadoes that swept through Middle and West Tennessee between April 2 and April 6.
The declaration includes FEMA Individual Assistance for residents in nine counties and Public Assistance for 19 counties. Gov. Lee expressed gratitude for the federal support, emphasizing its importance in helping communities recover.
“State and local officials continue to provide critical support to Middle and West Tennesseans who face a long road to recovery,” Lee said. “As the rebuilding process continues, I thank President Trump and our federal partners for granting resources to further our severe weather response and recovery.”
The counties eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance are Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion, and Wilson. These residents can apply for help with rental assistance, home repairs, and replacement of personal property, among other disaster-related needs.
Nineteen counties have been approved for FEMA Public Assistance: Cheatham, Davidson, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henry, Hickman, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Stewart, and Tipton. The Public Assistance program allows local governments and certain nonprofits to seek reimbursement for costs related to emergency response and infrastructure repair.
“Securing a Major Disaster Declaration is a crucial step in getting our communities the help they need,” said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Director Patrick C. Sheehan. “We are grateful for the federal, state, and local partnerships that made this possible.”
Tennesseans in the affected counties can apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time. Multilingual operators are available.
More information about FEMA assistance programs can be found on the agency’s website.