The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reported that more than $66 million in housing and other types of assistance has been approved through June 2 for the three major disaster declarations due to severe weather in Kentucky this year.
For the February severe weather and flooding, FEMA has so far approved over $45.6 million in housing and other types of assistance to some 7,000 Kentucky households. While the application period for February storms closed on May 25, FEMA says they are still available to help if you have questions or need to provide documents.
FEMA has currently granted more than$19.9 million for those who suffered losses in the April severe storms and historic flooding to more than 2,500Kentucky households. The deadline to file for assistance is June 25.
There is a wide variety of help FEMA is offering to people affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes from May 16-17, which claimed 19 lives in Kentucky. Every homeowner or renter who suffered damage or loss is encouraged to apply. FEMA can provide money to eligible applicants for help with serious needs, paying for a temporary place to live, home repairs and other needs not covered by insurance. The deadline to apply in connection with that disaster is July 23. More than $800,000 has been approved so far, with more applications being processed daily.
Those in the affected counties can apply for FEMA assistance in several ways:
- Apply online at gov.
- Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center close to you, visit gov/DRC, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 29169”). There you will find their hours of operation and the counties eligible for assistance.
- Use the FEMA mobile app.
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. It is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
Remember, if your address or phone number changes at any time after you applied for assistance, let FEMA know immediately by logging into your account at DisasterAssistance.gov or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
(Photo: Tornado damage in Laurel Co., courtesy of FEMA via Kentucky Today)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
