KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the state of Tennessee following the frigid winter weather that blanketed much of the country around Christmas.

Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance will be made available to augment state, local and tribal recovery efforts in areas affected by the severe winter storm from Dec. 22-27, 2022.

Funding is available to the state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged in Cocke, Coffee, Davidson, Greene, Henderson, Knox, Maury, Perry, Putnam, Shelby and Washington counties.

An arctic blast sent temperatures across the country into single digits and forced the Tennessee Valley Authority to implement rolling blackouts across the Southeast amid record demand for power.

The nation’s largest public utility has since appointed an independent panel to study what led to the decision to implement the blackouts.

Funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.