President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for Kentucky counties affected by flash flooding in June.
Tuesday, the White House signed off on $9.1 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance funds for 20 counties.
Six people were killed, including three in Madison County, in flash flooding June 27. Two of those were individuals who drowned in the basement of a home in Richmond.
Roads, bridges, homes and churches were damaged or destroyed in several parts of the state.
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr led a request last month by Kentucky’s congressional delegation for the FEMA assistance. Gov. Andy Beshear also requested public and individual assistance.
Public assistance funds can be used by local governments and nonprofits to cover debris removal, hazard mitigation and infrastructure restoration. Individual assistance, for homes and businesses, has yet to be approved.
The counties eligible for public assistance include Bullitt, Butler, Clinton, Cumberland, Garrard, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Henderson, Jackson, Jessamine, Madison, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Ohio, Owsley, Rockcastle, Spencer and Wayne.
Not including the Kentucky assistance, the Trump administration has approved 118 disaster declarations nationwide this year for a total of nearly $600 million.
