Nearly half of Kentucky counties eligible for public assistance after deep snows, flooding
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 12, 2015) – Governor Steve Beshear was notified late today that President Barack Obama has authorized federal assistance for Kentucky in designated counties that suffered significant damage during the March 3 severe winter storm, which included historic snowfall, flooding, landslides and mudslides.
This is the third federal disaster declaration granted this month for severe weather events that lashed much of Kentucky earlier this year. Snowstorms in February and March dumped as much as a foot of snow or more across the state, snarling traffic and shutting schools and businesses. In April, flash flooding caused more school closures, home evacuations and road washouts.
“Much of our state suffered a back-to-back wallop of severe winter storms in February and March, which stretched both snow supplies and human resources,” said Gov. Beshear. “While our emergency responders and local officials did a great job making sure Kentuckians were safe, the damages and cost to local communities can be a heavy burden for local governments. We’re grateful for the federal declaration and the opportunities it provides for our communities to recover from these storms.”
The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected governments and certain non-profit organizations under FEMA’s Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Programs.
“This is the third major disaster declaration Kentucky has been awarded in the past two weeks,” said Michael Dossett, director of Kentucky Emergency Management. “FEMA representatives are on the ground now in Kentucky, working on the previous disaster declarations. This third award will close the loop, providing badly-needed financial assistance to our local governments.”
Public Assistance Program benefits (assistance to local governments for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities) are available for the following counties:
Anderson
Bell
Bourbon
Boyd
Breathitt
Bullitt
Butler
Calloway
Carter
Casey
Clay
Daviess
Elliott
Estill
Fleming
Floyd
Franklin
Fulton
Gallatin
Grant
Greenup
Hancock
Harrison
Hart
Jackson
Johnson
Knott
Knox
LaRue
Lawrence
Lee
Leslie
Letcher
Lewis
Magoffin
Marshall
Martin
Mason
Menifee
Metcalfe
Morgan
Nicholas
Ohio
Owen
Owsley
Perry
Pike
Powell
Robertson
Rockcastle
Rowan
Spencer
Trigg
Washington
Webster
Whitley
Woodford
Under the Public Assistance Program, snow assistance is also available for:
Boyd
Bourbon
Bullitt
Butler
Calloway
Carter
Daviess
Fleming
Franklin
Fulton
Gallatin
Grant
Hancock
Harrison
Hart
LaRue
Lewis
Marshall
Mason
Nicholas
Ohio
Owen
Robertson
Rowan
Spencer
Trigg
Washington
Woodford
All areas in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are eligible for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Additional information on KYEM and FEMA’s Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Programs can be found at http://kyem.ky.gov/recovery/Pages/default.aspx where you can also ‘like’ and ‘follow’ KYEM on Facebook and Twitter.
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