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.
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.
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.