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By McKenna Horsley

Kentucky Lantern

President Joe Biden issued a major disaster declaration for 11 Kentucky counties affected by recent severe storms in April. 

Federal assistance will supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas “ affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, landslides, and mudslides on April 2, 2024,” a White House press release said. 

Federal funding will be available to affected residents in the following counties: Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union and Whitley.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the White House said. 

“Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire Commonwealth.” 

Residents and business owners affected by the April storms can apply for federal assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) app. Those who use a relay service, like a video relay service or a captioned telephone service, can give FEMA the number to use that service. 

After the April storms, Gov. Andy Beshear said that a Kenton County resident died in a car accident as a result of the severe storms and tornadoes. At the time, the governor also urged Kentuckians to take photos and document any damage before cleaning up to help the state qualify for federal disaster assistance, particularly to qualify for individual assistance.

Further federal designations may be made in the future if requested by the Commonwealth and “warranted by the results of further damage assessments.” 

Craig Levy Sr. of FEMA was appointed to coordinate the federal recovery operations in the affected areas.