After declaring a state of emergency as 19 tornadoes swept across the commonwealth April 2-3, Gov. Andy Beshear requested a federal disaster declaration, which was approved today by President Joe Biden.
The Governor requested the declaration in April, and the approval makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union and Whitley counties. The Governor said additional counties could be added after additional damage assessments are completed.
“We are thankful to President Biden and his administration for approving this funding, which will be a big help for our families and communities recovering from these devastating tornadoes and storms,” Gov. Beshear said. “We continue to thank our first responders and those continuing cleanup efforts for their unwavering support.”
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.
Federal funding is also 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.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at Disaster Assistance.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 others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
Following the early April storms, the Governor 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.
During the storms on Tuesday, April 2, Gov. Beshear also activated the State Emergency Operations Center; closed all Executive Branch state office buildings and activated the state’s price gouging laws to protect Kentuckians from overpriced goods and services as they clean up and recover from the storms.
On April 3, the Governor visited Prospect in Jefferson and Oldham counties and Fayette and Jessamine counties to see storm-impacted areas and to meet with local officials and families. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman visited Ashland and Boyd counties.
Throughout the response, the Governor provided several updates to keep Kentuckians informed about the state’s response. Click here for news release updates from April 2, April 3, April 4 and April 11.
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