Home » Federal disaster aid in Kentucky tops $18 million

Federal disaster aid in Kentucky tops $18 million

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 23, 2012) — Total federal disaster assistance approved for Kentucky survivors of the tornadoes and damaging storms of Feb. 29 through March 3 now stands at more than $18.6 million.

To date:

• Close to 5,300 Kentuckians in 21 designated counties have contacted FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance.

• Over $8.7 million has been approved for Individual Assistance grants, including housing assistance, short-term rental assistance, home repair costs and other needs assistance.

• Nearly $1.8 million of the Individual Assistance grants was for Other Needs Assistance, including payments for such eligible disaster-related items as medical and dental expenses, and lost personal possessions.

• More than 2,580 homes sustained damages. Of those, more than 280 were destroyed.

Nearly 3,200 inspections of damaged properties have been conducted.

• More than $9.9 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses has been approved by the Small Business Administration.

• FEMA Public Assistance has obligated more than $55,000 for repair projects in eligible counties.

Kentucky counties eligible for help from FEMA’s Public Assistance program are Adair, Ballard, Bath, Grant, Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Morgan, Pendleton, Trimble and Wolfe.

Public Assistance is available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, utilities, schools, and similar facilities. Public Assistance is also available to certain private nonprofit agencies and organizations.

Commonwealth counties eligible for Individual Assistance are Bath, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Grayson, Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Ohio, Pendleton, Rowan, Russell, Trimble and Wolfe.

Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs.

Kentucky Emergency Management and FEMA encourage Kentuckians to make sure their friends, neighbors and family members have registered with FEMA for federal disaster assistance by the federal disaster assistance registration deadline of May 7.

Disaster officials stress the importance of returning the Small Business Administration loan application survivors may have received as part of their registration package.  Completion of the application provides information that may determine eligibility for further federal disaster assistance. The deadline to apply for property damage SBA loans also is May 7.  The deadline to apply for economic injury SBA loans is Dec. 6.

Due to a steady decrease of activity, SBA’s Business Recovery Center located in Johnson County, Kentucky closed April 19. SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Morgan County will cease operations on Friday, April 27, at the close of business.  All Commonwealth-FEMA disaster recovery centers are now closed as well.

There are three ways to register with FEMA or to contact FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance: call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.  Help is available in many languages.

Disaster applicants who use TTY should call 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service should call 1-800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, every day.