Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Seeks Federal Aid for 9 Counties in Aftermath of Devastating Weekend Tornadoes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is requesting federal emergency assistance today for nine counties impacted in the tornado outbreak that began in the state the evening of Fri, Dec. 10, 2021, and would eventually claim four lives when it was finally over on Sat. Dec. 11.

“Our emergency officials, first responders, and law enforcement brought hope where there was none in the aftermath of these storms,” Gov. Lee said. “Our effort now will be to bring as much relief as possible to these devastated communities.” 

Gov. Lee is asking President Joe Biden for an emergency declaration to make federal assistance available to Cheatham, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Lake, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley counties for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

If the emergency declaration is granted, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse jurisdictions for eligible work or provide direct operational assistance.

Gov. Lee indicates Tennessee will seek a Major Disaster Declaration for qualifying jurisdictions after local officials are able to complete a thorough assessment of storm damage to make FEMA’s Public Assistance and Individual Assistance programs available to the declared counties that qualify for federal help.

Tennessee experienced two lines of severe weather beginning Friday evening and into Saturday morning as a mass of warm, unstable air moved across the state. The storms produced at least seven tornadoes across west and middle Tennessee, claimed four lives in the state, and left more than 150,000 people without power at the severe weather’s peak.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has made a recovery web page available in an effort to help storm survivors find resources and support.

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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: News Release PDF