April 27, 2018
Funding is to repair roads, bridges and other infrastructure due to severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 27, 2018) – President Donald Trump has authorized assistance for certain Kentucky counties that suffered significant damage as a result of the severe weather and flooding event occurring from Feb. 21, 2018 through March 21, 2018.
“We are grateful to the President for issuing an official disaster declaration to aid more Kentucky counties impacted by severe weather and flooding earlier this year,” said Gov. Bevin. “This federal assistance will provide more than one-quarter of our counties with important resources as they continue recovery efforts, and I am appreciative to our local and state emergency management teams for their assistance throughout this process. Let’s all continue to work together to help our communities with their recovery.”
The President’s action grants public assistance to 34 impacted counties to repair roads, bridges and other infrastructure due to severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides. The declaration will also provide the Commonwealth with mitigation funds.
Counties included in this declaration are: Boyd, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Campbell, Carlisle, Carroll, Carter, Crittenden, Fulton, Gallatin, Grant, Graves, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Jefferson, Kenton, Lawrence, Livingston, McCracken, McLean, Metcalfe, Ohio, Owen, Spencer, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Washington and Webster.
{The Lazer is awaiting requested comments from local officials involved in the process including Judge/Executive John Osborn and local EMS director Michael Woods.}
WOODS statement:
“…Today, President Trump declared a second major disaster for the Commonwealth of Kentucky for damages sustained from weather events from February 21 through March 21, 2018.
We are glad Lawrence County was approved for disaster assistance to help repair damages sustained in this event. We are just now beginning the early phases of working with FEMA on the first declaration from the February 9 -14, 2018 event.”
“Lawrence and Metcalfe Counties were the only two counties to be included in both disaster declarations. The majority of the damages from both events impacted roadways across our county. Due to the large amount of areas impacted and the financial impact sustained repairs will likely take several months to be finished.”
“…These two declarations make the 5th and 6th Federal Disasters to impact Lawrence County since February 2015. Additionally, we had another potential disaster from the tornado of July 2016. This storm event was declared a federal disaster for Kentucky but Lawrence County didn’t have enough public damage to be included in that event due to the damage sustained by Wal-Mart not being a qualified expense for the declaration.”
“Any assistance that the county is able to receive in order to make repairs is greatly appreciated and needed. The estimated storm damage for both events was over 2 million dollars to the infrastructure of the city, county and state agencies within Lawrence County alone, Woods said.
Osborn statement:
(hopefully coming soon)
State FEMA official says:
“Lawrence County has been made eligible for both disasters (DR-4358 and DR-4361). It is way too early to say how much will be requested or approved, Monica L. French KYEM-CSEPP Public Information and Education officer said.
“The first step will be for all eligible applicants to provide FEMA with inventories of all damages and emergency measures associated with the disaster events,” she said. “Then, FEMA and the applicants will examine all damage sites, restoration/repair measures needed to get to pre-disaster condition, costs associated with repairs, and finally FEMA will identify what is eligible for reimbursement.”
Ms. French also said that before any of this begins, there will be meetings between applicants and KYEM and meetings between the applicants, FEMA and KYEM.
“We are probably maybe a month away from beginning the damage inventory step,” she said.
“The recent award of public assistance and mitigation funding will assist in restoration of our bridges, roadways and infrastructure damaged in the severe weather and flooding event,” said Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) Director Michael Dossett. “Our FEMA Region IV partners are currently on the ground in the Commonwealth, and this declaration will allow them to continue providing recovery services.”
