The deadlines for victims of both April’s severe storms and May’s tornadoes to apply for FEMA assistance are this week.
FEMA’s assistance deadline for victims of May’s tornadoes is July 23. Six counties in southern Kentucky were affected.
That includes Caldwell, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Trigg and Union.
FEMA’s assistance deadline for April’s floods, which hit much of central and western Kentucky is two days later, on July 25.
That includes Anderson, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Calloway, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Daviess, Franklin, Garrard, Grayson, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Larue, Lincoln, McCracken, McLean, Meade, Mercer, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Powell, Trimble, Warren, Webster and Woodford.
Local officials say recovery is going smoothly. Franklin County Judge Executive Michael Mueller says the county is offering a home buyout program for their residents who were hit by floods.
“I think there's a lot of tough decisions. You know, there's a lot of homes, some historic, so people are really torn. You know, it might have been a generational home for them, and they just can't stomach the idea of having that destroyed,” he said.
Mueller says 514 structures in the county were damaged by the floods, including some apartment complexes that were destroyed. He says around 500 people have applied for assistance.
Laurel County Judge Executive David Westerfield, whose county was affected by the tornadoes, says they’ve cleaned up around 95% of the debris.
“All these volunteers coming in from – especially out of town, and local people as well – you move the home debris to the curbside, you know, then at that point, it goes to be put on county property,” Westerfield said. “Then that allows us to come through and pick it up and remove it and take it to the landfill.”
Westerfield says 480 homes in the county were damaged by the tornadoes, and 290 homes were completely destroyed. Westerfield says a drop off point for donations is still running at 1812 North Main Street.
Those affected can apply for assistance online, by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or downloading the mobile app.
