Federal disaster declaration approved for Whitley, 10 other counties

President Joe Biden approved a federal disaster declaration Wednesday for 11 Kentucky counties, including Whitley County, in connection with April 2-3 tornadoes and storms that swept across Kentucky.

Gov. Andy Beshear requested the declaration in April, and the approval makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union and Whitley counties. Beshear said additional counties could be added after additional damage assessments are completed.

“We are thankful to President Biden and his administration for approving this funding, which will be a big help for our families and communities recovering from these devastating tornadoes and storms,” Beshear said. “We continue to thank our first responders and those continuing cleanup efforts for their unwavering support.”

Whitley County Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains said that after the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came down and did a joint damage assessment with him in Whitley County where a total of 21 homes were surveyed.

The survey showed that 10 homes were destroyed in the Diamond Acres RV Resort. Out of the remaining 11 homes surveyed, four had major damage, three had minor damage and four were affected. All of the residents did have insurance.

According to the White House, 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.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire state. FEMA’s E. Craig Levy Sr. has been appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Residents and business owners, who sustained losses in the designated areas, can begin applying for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.