Relief could be on the way for many east Tennessee counties facing steep clean-up costs after a winter storm in February.

Thursday, President Obama declared a major disaster exists in the State of Tennessee and ordered federal aid to help with state and local recovery efforts.

The declaration means local governments and some private nonprofit organizations can apply for financial assistance to cover those mounting bills from tree removal, damage to roads, and other issues caused by the snow, ice, and subsequent flooding.

The eligible counties are: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, Fentress, Giles, Grainger, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hardeman, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Loudon, Marshall, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Putnam, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Van Buren, Warren, and White.

The declaration is specifically for damage done during the week of February 15-22, when a series of winter storms swept across the state.

The first storm caused the most damage in the southern counties of East Tennessee, including McMinn and Monroe Counties, when thousands were without power for days.

The week ended with an ice storm on the Cumberland Plateau, which downed thousands of trees and power lines, again cutting power to thousands of people, some of them for over a week. Cumberland and Fentress Counties were the hardest hit areas during that storm.