FEMADR-1856-TNMajor disasterDeclared August 21, 2009
DR-1856-TN: Tennessee Severe Storms and Flooding
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Tennessee (DR-1856-TN) on August 21, 2009 for the incident of July 15, 2009 to July 17, 2009; it covers 6 designated areas. FEMA had approved obligated $2.2 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1856-TN (also written FEMA-1856-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Tennessee
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms and Flooding
- Incident period
- July 15, 2009 to July 17, 2009
- Declared
- August 21, 2009
- Programs declared
- Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the fourth of 4 major disaster declarations for Tennessee in 2009
- Status
- closed out on March 23, 2016
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Which areas are covered, and for what?
| Designated area | Individuals and Households | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Clay (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Decatur (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Jackson (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Overton (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Wayne (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
An area can be added to a declaration after the first day, or have a program added: this table is FEMA's current list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
How much has FEMA approved?
$2.2 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$185,505Hazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of n/a, public assistance as of May 17, 2026. FEMA updates both as applications are decided.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2); FEMA, OpenFEMA FEMA Web Disaster Summaries (v1). Data as of September 29, 2026.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1856. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.