The News.
The Tennessean: TN to Get $60.6M in Disaster Declaration After Winter Storm, Trump Says
President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Tennessee on Thursday, unlocking an estimated $60.6 million in federal relief funding for communities devastated by Winter Storm Fern, which struck the state in late January.
FEMA.gov: Additional Areas Approved for Individual and Public Assistance Following the October 2025 Alaska West Coast Storms
Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, FEMA has approved additional areas in Alaska for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance following the devastating October 2025 West Coast storms, expanding the pool of residents and communities eligible for federal recovery support.
FOX News: Palisades Fire disaster pushes Ring to close critical gaps in emergency visibility
A year after deadly fires ripped through the Pacific Palisades in California, Ring has launched a new safety feature called Fire Watch to help communities and first responders get real-time, on-the-ground information during active fires.
Houston Public Media: Texans struggle to recover from disasters because of construction worker shortage, survey finds
Texas is a hot spot for natural disasters, from hurricanes to tornadoes to floods. And a newly released survey shows that as the weather becomes more severe, Texans’ concerns about recovery increase.
Tennessee Lookout: FEMA Approves $11M in Expedited Emergency Response Funds for Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana
FEMA approved $11 million in expedited emergency response funds for Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana following Winter Storm Fern, which brought historic ice accumulations and widespread power outages across the South.
Mississippi Today: MEMA warns of ‘huge gap’ in disaster recovery funding
Under a planned new threshold for federal disaster assistance, Mississippi would have missed out on federal support for 18 of the last 28 declared disasters, resulting in a loss of $163 million, state officials calculated.
E&E News by Politico: Trump moves to override local rules in post-disaster rebuilding
The Trump administration is taking an unprecedented step to control post-disaster rebuilding efforts by preempting local regulations that it says have delayed projects that are funded with federal loans.
The Oxford Eagle: Walmart Mobilizes Disaster Recovery Units to Oxford
As Mississippi communities begin the process of recovering from the recent catastrophic winter storm, Walmart is deploying specialized disaster recovery units to Walmart Supercenter in Oxford.
TN Governor’s Office: Gov. Lee Requests Expedited Disaster Declaration for 23 Counties
On January 28, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee requested President Donald J. Trump grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Tennessee counties following significant impacts from Winter Storm Fern.
ABC News: FEMA could still support winter storm response in a shutdown, despite administration warnings
The Federal Emergency Management Agency would have enough money to respond to the massive winter storm still impacting large swaths of the U.S. even if a partial government shutdown begins at midnight Friday, experts and former FEMA officials said, despite Trump administration warnings to the contrary.
E&E News by Politico: Internal report urges Trump to transform disaster aid
A panel of experts established by President Donald Trump proposed replacing the government’s notoriously slow process for approving disaster aid with a new system that triggers the release of money based on weather conditions rather than estimates of financial damage, according to a copy of the final report obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.
The Washington Post: DHS pauses cuts to FEMA as massive winter storm barrels in
The Department of Homeland Security has paused terminations of employees working on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster response as it ramps up preparations for a massive and life-threatening winter storm that will pummel half the country this weekend.
The New York Times: Winter Storm Debilitates the South, Encasing Cities in Ice and Snow
But the weather has had a particularly debilitating effect in the South, where experience with brutal winter conditions is limited, threatening to overwhelm infrastructure, tax the resources of local governments and catch residents off guard.
FOX Weather: Mississippi paralyzed by large-scale power outages, life-threatening ice as arctic air could slow recovery
A historic winter storm slammed the South over the weekend, coating cities in ice and knocking out power for millions of residents.
AccuWeather: Historic Winter Storm Losses Expected to Exceed $100 Billion as Arctic Cold Slows Recovery
A historic winter storm that slammed more than half the United States is shaping up to be one of the most costly weather disasters in modern history.
USDA.gov: USDA Encourages Ag Producers, Residents to Prepare for Winter Storm Fern
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers, ranchers, families, and small businesses in the path of Winter Storm Fern to prepare for severe winter weather and be aware of available USDA assistance.
The New York Times: What to Do Now to Prepare Your Home for the Winter Storm
A severe winter storm is expected to sweep across the United States this week, with a potent cocktail of heavy snow, ice and extreme cold, affecting up to 160 million people. Here’s what you can do, even in the last minute, to prepare your home and stay safe and warm.
USA Today: Navigate any winter storms with these power outage essentials
With an extreme cold warning issued for a large swath of the United States and an evolving winter storm that's still forecasted to impact more than two dozen states from Texas up through the Northeast, many Americans are (rightfully) preparing for extreme winter weather.
Biltmore Beacon: $3M authorized for Asheville homeowners hit by Helene
RenewNC's Single-Family Home Repair Program assists homeowners across 28 WNC counties who experienced property damage and loss due to Hurricane Helene.
NOLA.com: Years after Hurricanes Laura and Ida, Louisiana’s billion dollar recovery program will soon end
More than four years after Hurricane Ida, Louisiana’s billion-dollar program to help rebuild storm victims’ homes will soon come to an end.