Governor Andy Beshear announced Wednesday morning that the federal disaster declaration he requested for the Memorial Day weekend storms that affected individuals in 15 counties in the Commonwealth was approved Tuesday by President Joe Biden.
The approval makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Christian, Clay, Greenup, Hopkins, Knox, Logan, Muhlenberg, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Warren and Whitley counties.
Governor Beshear said in a release that the Commonwealth is once again thankful to President Biden for his administration for approving this funding. He noted this support will be a big help to the families affected as they recover and rebuild from yet another terrible storm.
According to the White House, assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
In addition, federal funding is also available to eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, landslides and mudslides in several counties including Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Todd and Trigg.
Lastly, the Governor said federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire state.
E. Craig Levy Sr. of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
According to Governor Beshear, additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or other similar service, can give FEMA the number for that service.
Following the storms over the Memorial Day weekend, Governor Beshear urged local officials to start the federal Individual Assistance and Public Assistance damage assessments and asked Kentuckians who experienced storm damage to take photographs before cleaning up and to report the damages to their local emergency management officials.
Governor Beshear also activated the State Emergency Operations Center and activated the state’s price gouging laws to protect Kentuckians from inflated prices on goods and services during their cleanup and recovery efforts following the severe weather.
On Memorial Day, Governor Beshear visited the most affected areas in Hopkins and Muhlenberg counties to assess the storm damage and engage with community members.
