KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - With the remnants of Hurricane Helene bringing massive flooding to the Great Smoky Mountains region, several counties in East Tennessee and western North Carolina are facing emergency declarations. How does the federal government declare a disaster, and what kind of relief do the declarations bring?

President Joe Biden signed a declaration that approved federal disaster funding for North Carolina following the wake of devastation that Tropical Storm Helene left on the state.