Tennessee Severe Winter Storm Receives FEMA Major Disaster Declaration

What Happened

On February 6, 2026, a major disaster declaration (DR-4898-TN) was issued for the state of Tennessee in response to a severe winter storm. The incident occurred over a six-day period from January 22 to January 27, 2026. As a major disaster (DR), this declaration signifies a high level of severity and unlocks federal resources to assist in recovery efforts.

Affected Areas

The declaration designates 23 counties across Tennessee as eligible for federal assistance:

• Cheatham
• Chester
• Clay
• Davidson
• Decatur
• Dickson
• Hardeman
• Hardin
• Henderson
• Hickman
• Lawrence
• Lewis
• Macon
• Maury
• McNairy
• Perry
• Robertson
• Rutherford
• Sumner
• Trousdale
• Wayne
• Williamson
• Wilson

Federal Assistance Available

FEMA has authorized Public Assistance for all 23 designated counties. This program provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, and local governments, and certain private non-profit organizations, to assist with emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

At this time, Individual Assistance (IA), Individuals and Households (IH) programs, and Hazard Mitigation (HM) programs have not been activated under this specific declaration.

What You Should Do

Representatives of local government agencies and eligible non-profits in the affected counties should contact their state emergency management agency to begin the application process for Public Assistance. While Individual Assistance for residents was not part of this specific activation, residents are encouraged to document all storm-related damages. For general information or to monitor for future updates, individuals can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Source

Information provided by FEMA.