FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gov. Matt Bevin’s office said Wednesday the state is requesting a federal disaster declaration for 35 Kentucky counties affected by flooding in late February.
“This requested Presidential Disaster Declaration will provide more than one-quarter of Kentucky’s counties with federal assistance as they recover from widespread severe storms and flooding in recent weeks,” Bevin said in a statement. “The Commonwealth has already experienced a challenging 2018 weather-wise, with these events coming on the heels of severe flooding across Eastern Kentucky in February. It has been inspiring to see Kentuckians come together to help their neighbors, and our hope is that this Declaration request will yield much-needed assistance for community residents and local governments across the state.”
The mayor’s office said the weather system — which brought heavy rains and tornadoes — caused more than $24.7 million in damages statewide. It says in addition, the deaths of four Kentuckians were blamed on the storms.
The request covers the following counties: Boyd, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Campbell, Carlisle, Carroll, Carter, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Gallatin, Grant, Graves, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Jefferson, Kenton, Lawrence, Livingston, McCracken, McLean, Metcalfe, Ohio, Owen, Spencer, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Washington, and Webster.
“Unfortunately, the Commonwealth has been on the receiving end of two back-to-back major flooding events, only days apart,” said Kentucky Emergency Management director Michael Dossett. “We are hopeful for federal assistance, first for our citizens who suffered flooding damage or displacement from their homes and second for our counties as they continue repairing damages to bridge and roadway infrastructures.”
