Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill that would create a state fund for personal storm shelters into law earlier this week.
The passage of Senate Bill 11 creates a rebate program to match the amount homeowners spend on building personal safe rooms, up to $5,000.
State Sen. Stephen Meredith (R-Leitchfield), the bill’s primary sponsor, described the program as being “uniquely rural.”
“In rural counties, since we're so sparsely populated, it's challenging in inclement weather for people to drive sometimes 30, 45 minutes to get to a community storm shelter,” he said.
Kentucky has seen 15 federally declared disasters in the past six years. Meredith said the legislation is a response to more frequent severe weather events in Kentucky.
“The tornado alley, which used to be kind of north of the Ohio River, has shifted southward, and we're seeing more and more tornadoes throughout our area, unfortunately, but also severe winds and hail storms and so forth. So there's an increasing need for that,” he said.
The governor’s office says Kentucky Emergency Management has managed community safe room projects over the past 15 years, with the money coming from FEMA grants. During that time, they’ve built 97 shelters in 32 counties.
Gov. Beshear is now asking the state legislature to find ways to fund the program. Kentucky Emergency Management does not have funds available from its own budget, or from FEMA.
The governor’s office says the program will launch next January.
