FCC Activates Disaster Reporting for Winter Storm Fern

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has released a Public Notice activating its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative (MDRI) in several counties throughout the Southeastern United States.  Covered providers in DIRS activation areas must file reports online at https://www.dirs.fcc.gov/ by 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and every day thereafter by 9:00 a.m. (EST) until DIRS is deactivated.  For more information on the FCC’s response to Winter Storm Fern, visit https://www.fcc.gov/fern.  Providers in areas all affected by Fern should monitor the FCC’s website for changes to the DIRS and MDRI activation areas.

DIRS is the FCC’s online reporting platform which all communications providers must use to report infrastructure status updates during emergencies to help coordinate aid efforts in affected areas.  Cable communications providers, wireless service providers, wireline communications providers, and Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers that serve the counties listed below must report their infrastructure status and other situational awareness information.  A guide to DIRS reporting can be found on the FCC’s website here.  These providers are not required to report in the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) in all designated areas where DIRS is activated.

MDRI activation requires facilities-based mobile wireless providers in the counties listed below to (1) provide for reasonable roaming under disaster arrangements; (2) activate mutual aid arrangements with other facilities-based mobile wireless providers for providing aid upon request; (3) take reasonable measures to enhance municipal preparedness and restoration; (4) take reasonable measures to increase consumer readiness and preparation; and (5) take reasonable measures to improve public awareness and stakeholder communications on service and restoration status.  Additional details on the MDRI are available on the FCC’s website here.

In a subsequent Public Notice, the FCC will announce when DIRS and the MDRI have been deactivated in designated areas and release any updates on additional obligations or deadlines for providers to report the timing and effectiveness of their disaster response measures.

The Womble Bond Dickinson Communications, Technology and Media Team in Washington, D.C., is closely monitoring Winter Storm Fern.  Please reach out to any of us to discuss any questions or specific areas of concern.

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DIRS AND MDRI ACTIVATION AREAS

Alabama: Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, Dekalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawerence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Walker, and Winston

Georgia: Banks, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Dade, Dawson, Dekalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fayette, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Henry, Jefferson, Lamar, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, McDuffie, Meriwether, Monroe, Murray, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Rabun, Spalding, Towns, Troup, Union, Walker, Warren, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes

Kentucky: Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bell, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Casey, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Floyd, Fulton, Garrard, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Harlan, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marshall, Martin, McCracken, McCreary, Menifee, Mercer, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Shelby, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe, and Woodford

Mississippi: Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Franklin, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Itawamba, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tishomingo, Tippah, Tunica, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Winston, Yalobusha, and Yazoo

North Carolina: Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, EBCI, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, and Yancey

South Carolina: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, and York

Tennessee: Bedford, Benton, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Davidson, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, and Wilson

Virginia: Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Goochland, Grayson, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, James City, King & Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montogomery, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Richmond County and City of Richmond, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, and York