President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for 10 states across the Southeast late Saturday afternoon as the winter storm progresses.
The president approved declarations for Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia, he announced in a Truth Social post.
He said the administration is working closely with governors and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which earlier this week abruptly halted terminations of disaster workers amid storm preparation.
“Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!” Trump posted.
Earlier Saturday, the president approved emergency declarations for other states in the storm’s path, including South Carolina and Virginia. Emergency declarations temporarily eliminate some spending barriers, allowing state governments to more rapidly supply resources and appeal for federal aid.
At least 20 states have declared a state of emergency: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
In Louisiana, where ice and freezing temperatures hit earlier in the day, roughly 50,000 customers are reporting power outages, according to tracker Poweroutage.us. The storm is expected to hit harder in states farther to the east late Saturday and Sunday.