The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved 728 applications for a total of nearly $5.2 million in disaster assistance for Tennesseans affected by severe storms and flooding in April. This includes $2.8 million in housing assistance and $2.3 million in assistance for other needs, according to Tennessee Lookout. Individuals have until Aug. 19 to apply. The agency also recently announced that is preparing to close three of its Disaster Recovery Centers, which help disaster victims with aid applications and provide connections to other resources. Centers in Dyer, McNairy and Montgomery counties will close at 6 p.m. on Aug. 1. Centers in Hardeman and Obion counties will remain open. More information about available resources can be found on FEMA’s website.

Managers of Impact Plastics, the plant in Erwin where six employees were swept away and died in Hurricane Helene floodwaters, are not legally responsible for those deaths, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced last week. The decision followed an investigation that, according to the bureau, found no criminal wrongdoing. No charges will be filed in the case. According to Knox News, the investigation showed Impact Plastics owner Gerald O’Connor dismissed employees in September with enough time and when there were “available paths of evacuation.” The findings mirror those of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but contradict what many employees told news outlets after the floods — that managers would not allow them to leave until it was too late. The company has denied it forced employees to stay as floodwaters rose. One family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company.

A group of 20 states filed suit Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters. According to Reuters, the suit claims the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks authority to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program since it has been approved and funded by Congress. The program, created in 2018 as an upgrade of existing grant programs, covers up to 75% of the costs of infrastructure projects — or 90% in rural areas — meant to protect communities from natural disasters. The funding has been used for evacuation shelters, flood walls and improvements to roads and bridges, among other projects. When FEMA announced termination of the program in April, it said it had become wasteful and ineffective. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in May urged FEMA to restore the funds and work with Congress to make the program more efficient.

Three more Tennessee counties are now authorized to receive public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as they recover from severe storms in April. FEMA announced Monday that Carroll, Houston and Wayne counties are now eligible for public assistance funding, which helps reimburse some local government costs for debris removal and repairs to public infrastructure or facilities. They join 19 other counties that previously were announced. Tennessee Lookout reports the news. The paper also notes that FEMA has approved $3.4 million in individual assistance for the storms.

Tennesseans affected by severe storms in April have until Aug. 19 to apply for individual assistance, WPLN reports. Help with applications is available at Disaster Recovery Centers set up in affected areas. All centers will be closed on July 4, but a list of locations and hours is available online. Individuals in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion and Wilson counties can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, through FEMA’s mobile app or by calling 800-621-3362.

FEMA has announced that President Donald Trump approved federal disaster assistance to support recovery efforts in areas of the state affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in April. The president’s action makes federal funding available to individuals in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion and Wilson counties. Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the disaster’s impact. Federal funding also is available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and infrastructure repairs in 19 counties, according to FEMA's press release. Individuals and business owners in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers, then apply for assistance by registering at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.

Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, Deputy Commissioner Andy Holt and State Forester Heather Slayton toured storm-damaged farms in Unicoi and Washington counties to witness firsthand the cleanup efforts underway and assess the remaining needs following the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene. Joined by State Reps. Renea Jones, R-Unicoi and Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, the officials visited several sites, including Miller Farm and Scott’s Strawberry and Tomato Farm, reaffirming the state’s commitment to helping farmers and forest landowners recover, according to the state Department of Agriculture. The storm, which hit the region in September 2024, caused an estimated $547 million to $1.8 billion in agricultural and timber losses across more than 150,000 acres. The Department of Agriculture has petitioned the USDA for a block grant to cover losses and is working to secure additional federal aid. Gov. Bill Lee’s $100 million Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund also will support ongoing recovery, with first round recipients to be announced in July.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) on Monday announced that Tennessee fire departments are beginning to transition to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) — a secure, cloud-based platform built to modernize how emergency incidents are reported and analyzed. NERIS is replacing the 40-year-old National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) in order to provide local agencies with timely data tools, location-based analytics and flexible options for incident reporting. NFIRS will be formally decommissioned on Jan. 1, 2026. Tennessee is part of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4, which also includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Departments across the region are onboarding NERIS as part of a phased national rollout. Read more in a press release from the state fire marshal.

Storm survey teams have confirmed five tornadoes from storms that swept through Middle Tennessee last Tuesday, with additional damage in some areas caused by straight-line winds and a downburst. The storm downed trees and power poles and produced extremely large hail in and around Williamson County, WPLN News reports.The National Weather Service found the strongest tornado was in southern Cumberland County, where it caused minor structural damage to at least a dozen homes near Crossville. The other, weaker tornadoes were confirmed in North Clarksville, Bedford County, Marshall County and Rutherford County.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that three tornadoes touched down during Tuesday’s severe weather event across the mid-state. According to WKRN, the first tornado hit in northern Clarksville while a second one touched down in southern Clarksville and a third touched down in southern Cumberland County. NWS says the reports are preliminary and may change based on a final review. Teams from the service are continuing to conduct damage assessments in Bedford, Coffee, Lewis, Marshall, Rutherford, Stewart and Warren counties as well as other parts of southwest Middle Tennessee.