$281 million in federal funding poured into eastern Kentucky for flood recovery

One year after the historic flooding

                                                                                            (PHOTO PROVIDED)

Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – One year after the historic flooding in eastern Kentucky, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), its federal partners and the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management are continuing their 13-county recovery mission.

More than $281 million in federal funding has been pumped into eastern Kentucky over the past year to support individuals, families, communities and businesses as the region recovers from the disaster that claimed 45 lives and damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other infrastructure.

FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) provides grants to help flood survivors get back on their feet after a disaster.  Over the past year, IA has provided nearly $108 million to eastern Kentucky flood survivors.  Immediately after last year’s flooding, special teams comprised of FEMA, the state, and local representatives went on foot into areas where bridges and roads had been washed out to reach people who had no access.  FEMA says they were able to increase the amount of assistance to eastern Kentucky flood survivors by more than $1.2 million because of that concentrated outreach.

Another strategy FEMA used in eastern Kentucky was sending Disaster Survivor Assistance teams to homes where survivors had not answered phone calls or provided all of the information needed to process their applications. This was an equity push to ensure all survivors, regardless of their circumstances, receive whatever assistance for which they were eligible.

FEMA says one of their priorities is to help communities build back better, rather than providing funding to rebuild.  One example of this is FEMA’s Acquisition Program.  Gov. Andy Beshear requested an expedited acquisitions program, so FEMA placed acquisition specialists in every Disaster Recovery Center to speak one-on-one with interested survivors.  Over 500 property owners showed interest in the program.

Property Acquisitions, funded through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, are completely voluntary and administered by the state. Homeowners decide if they want their property to be considered for the program.  To date, FEMA has approved 241 properties, totaling more than $40.9 million, to begin the acquisition process.

If the homeowner accepts the offer, the property can never be built on again; the deed is given to local government and the property becomes greenspace. This breaks the cycle of repairing repetitive disaster damage and provides an opportunity for those living in high-risk flood zones to start a life on higher ground in a safer, more secure location.

Learn more at fema.gov/disaster/4663.