January 2026 Winter Weather

Tennesseans affected by Winter Storm Fern can find recovery information and assistance resources here. This page includes updates on disaster assistance, in-person recovery support, and other important information to help survivors take the next steps toward recovery.

Image of Bulldozer clearing debris from Winter Storm Fern

The State of Tennessee has received an amendment to the federal major disaster declaration for Winter Storm Fern, expanding available aid to include FEMA Individual Assistance for 29 impacted Tennessee counties. 

Under the amendment, survivors in the following counties are now able to apply for Individual Assistance: Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson. 

Individual Assistance can help eligible survivors with disaster-related expenses such as temporary housing, home repairs, replacement of essential personal property, and other serious disaster related needs.

Survivors in the designated counties who sustained damage from Winter Storm Fern are encouraged to apply for assistance through FEMA. 

Tennesseans can apply for FEMA IA by:

  • Visiting a Mobile Registration Intake Center or Disaster Recovery Center (More information on locations and hours of operation can be found in the In-Person Recovery Center section below)
  • Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
  • Calling 800-621-3362
  • Using the FEMA App

To watch an accessible video on how to apply for disaster assistance, visit FEMA Accessible: Registering for Individual Assistance (youtube.com).  

If you use a video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or other communication services, give FEMA your number for that service. More information on FEMA’s IA program can be found here.

Applying for federal disaster assistance from FEMA will not affect other federal benefits that survivors may receive, like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or other federal welfare and entitlement programs.

Before an Applicant starts a FEMA application, they should be prepared to provide:

  • Contact information: Provide the address of the property where the damage occurred and the address, phone number, and valid email address of where FEMA representatives can reach you.
  • A Social Security Number 
  • Damage Information: Describe the damage caused by the disaster. Include the type of disaster, and the type of home or vehicle.
  • Financial information: Provide your total annual household income, before taxes.
  • Insurance information: Describe the type(s) of insurance converge you have. This could include homeowners, flood, automobile, or mobile home insurance. 

Important Reminder for Applicants 

After applying for assistance, survivors may receive phone calls from FEMA from an unknown or unfamiliar number. It is important to answer these calls, as FEMA may need to speak with applicants to continue processing their case. In some situations, an application may be delayed or initially denied if FEMA is unable to reach the applicant. Survivors should also remember that FEMA will never ask for payment. FEMA representatives will identify a case using the registration number assigned to the survivor’s application.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for Tennessee small businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by severe winter storm fern occurring January 22 – 27. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Bill Lee on March 23.

The declaration covers the Tennessee counties of Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin Henderson, Hickman, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson, which are eligible for both physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from SBA.

  • Businesses and private nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
  • Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their verified physical damage for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

Beginning Thursday, April 9, SBA customer service representatives will be at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Hardin County to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is June 10. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 11, 2027.

If your primary residence is damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster occurring in Tennessee, you may be entitled to a refund of Tennessee sales and use tax paid on major appliances, residential furniture, or residential building supplies purchased after the disaster through the Tennessee Department of Revenue's Natural Disaster Sales Tax Relief Program. 

For more information including who qualifies, what kinds of items are considered eligible, and how to file a claim, visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue's webpage.

If you lost your job, work hours, or self-employment income directly because of the disaster, you may qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance and local support. 

Possible help includes:

  • Temporary unemployment benefits for disaster-related job loss
  • Help navigating applications and connecting to local resources

To apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, visit the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Disaster Unemployment Assistance webpage.

Survivors affected by Winter Storm Fern can get in-person help at recovery locations now open in impacted areas. Current assistance includes Mobile Registration Intake Centers for FEMA registration help and SBA recovery locations for disaster loan application assistance. Survivors do not need to wait for an in-person center to open to apply for help. They can also apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, call FEMA at 800-621-3362, or use the FEMA app. 

Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers are available to survivors who need in-person support for applying for FEMA assistance, applying for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, understanding aplication status, resolving issues, or accessing other resources.

Please find all Disaster Recovery Center location information below:

Davidson County
East Park Community Center
600 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Hardin County
Hardin County Emergency Management Agency and Fire Department
400 Armory Lane, Savannah, TN
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Hickman County
Hickman County Ag Pavilion
979 Grinders Switch Rd, Centerville, TN
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Madison County
217 East College, Jackson, TN
Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

 

Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers

Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are available to survivors who need in-person support for applying for FEMA assistance, applying for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, understanding aplication status, resolving issues, or accessing other resources.

Mobile DRC hours will be Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  CT and closed on Sundays. The Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are going to be in various counties over the next several weeks. The  days of operation and locations can be found below. Please be sure to check this page before you visit to ensure none of the details have changed.

May 11 through May 16

Hardeman County
400 S Main St.
Middleton, TN

Henderson County
50 Natchez Trace Dr
Lexington, TN

Macon County
201 Nature Trail Way
Lafayette, TN

Maury County
1020 Maury County Park Dr
Columbia, TN

Montgomery County
350 Pageant Lane
Clarksville, TN

Williamson County
1314 Columbia Ave
Franklin, TN

May 18 through May 23

Cheatham County
516 Thompson Rd
Pegram, TN

Clay County
145 Cordell Hull Dr
Celina, TN

Decatur County
403 W Highland St
Decaturville, TN

Fayette County
16885 US Highway 64
Somerville, TN

Perry County
300 Venture 
Linden, TN

Wilson County
945 E Braddour Pkwy
Lebanon, TN

 

SBA In-Person Assistance

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering in-person help for businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters affected by the winter storm. SBA customer service representatives can answer questions about disaster loans, explain the application process, and help people complete their applications. In addition to the Disaster Recovery Centers, there are SBA repersentatives available at:

Hardin County – Business Recovery Center
Hardin County Emergency Management
400 Armory Lane, Savannah, TN 38372
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 

Survivors can speed up the process by bringing identification, contact information, insurance information if available, and details about storm-related damage or losses. SBA applicants can also apply online at sba.gov/disaster, call 800-659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for help. 

The FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program provides essential grant funding to help local governments, state agencies, public utilities, and certain nonprofit organizations recover after a federally declared disaster. 

  • FEMA Public Assistance Categories A–G: Benton, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Fayette, Giles, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Sequatchie, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Union, Wayne, Williamson, Wilson
  • FEMA Public Assistance Category B: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, DeKalb, Dyer, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Haywood, Houston, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lincoln, Loudon, Marion, Marshall, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Obion, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Sullivan, Tipton, Unicoi, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Weakley, and White.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) reminds eligible applicants that FEMA has approved an extension for the Request for Public Assistance (RPA) deadline related to Winter Storm Fern.

The RPA deadline for the original 23 counties that were initially declared is March 25, 2026. These counties include: Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, Maury, McNairy, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, Wilson.

The RPA deadline for the counties that have been added to the declaration is April 14, 2026. These counties include: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, DeKalb, Dyer, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Haywood, Houston, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lincoln, Loudon, Marion, Marshall, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Obion, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Scott, Sevier, Sullivan, Tipton, Unicoi, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Weakley, and White.

If you are in need of assistance, please continue to work with any community organizations or nonprofits in your county. If you have an immediate need, please contact your local emergency mangagement agency.

Find all of TEMA's flash reports and news releases on our Newsroom page

All flash reports, press releases, and media briefings will be added to this section throughout the winter weather event. If you are a member of the media and have a question or interview request, please email TEMA.Info@tn.gov.