During a Monday morning virtual visit with the Pennyrile Area Development District, Governor Andy Beshear delivered two financial concerns regarding the cleanup and restoration of west Kentucky — following its confrontation with devastating December 10 and 11 storms.
While Kentucky was granted historic 100% coverage for the first 30 days of cleanup, Beshear said his request for an extended 60 days of coverage has been denied by federal authorities.
Instead, Beshear said the state has been granted stewardship of the cleanup, and in return can get reimbursement for the most expensive 30-day period of efforts over the first 120 days of work — in what was a compromise, of sorts, for the cost.
Beshear added the cost can also be separated into separate categories, with a search-and-rescue side and a debris removal side being targeted for maximum financial relief — something he said local judge-executives and mayors will have to come together on and decide what’s best.
Furthermore, Beshear had asked for $150 million from the Kentucky General Assembly to assist with school repair and the cost for FEMA trailers in west Kentucky.
The Kentucky General Assembly granted $45 million, in what could prove to be a three-fold difficulty.
Pushing aside politics, Beshear promised the PADD constituents he’d bring “every resource to bear” in rebuilding west Kentucky’s communities.
Outside of belaboring FEMA’s methodical approach to moving families into trailers, mobile homes, and state parks, Beshear noted that there is a considerable need to expedite the timeline of getting displaced citizens into stable housing.
It’s a lesson from what happened with Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, and Beshear added that the state’s budget — especially for the next two years — is in the best shape of his lifetime.
The Kentucky General Assembly remains in session for the next 50 or so days.
