Clay County is one of 23 Tennessee counties included in an expedited request for federal disaster aid Thursday. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee formally asked President Donald Trump to grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration following widespread damage from Winter Storm Fern. The request seeks both Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance and Individual Assistance to support response and recovery efforts. State officials said that approach is intended to move federal resources into affected areas as quickly as possible. State officials said those assessments will determine whether additional counties may qualify for inclusion in the disaster declaration.