Winter weather

Memphis Mayor Paul Young declares state of emergency ahead of winter storm

By , Daily Memphian Updated: January 23, 2026 4:05 PM CT | Published: January 23, 2026 3:33 PM CT
As a public service, The Daily Memphian has made this story free access for all readers.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young declared a state of emergency on Friday, Jan. 23. 

The state of emergency will last for seven days — and may be extended in seven-day increments. The emergency declaration allows the city to seek reimbursement for emergency expenses incurred during the storm scheduled to hit Memphis this weekend. 

The state of emergency makes it easier for the City of Memphis government to spend money to deal with the storm, waives certain contracting rules and makes it easier to rent equipment or employ permanent or temporary workers, according to the state law that authorizes municipalities to declare states of emergency. 

 

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winter weather
Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on the intersection of government, public policy, influence and how public dollars are spent.


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