Area counties included in disaster declaration request

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

FRANKFORT — Gov. Andy Beshear Friday submitted a request for a federal disaster declaration for Kentucky counties affected by the severe winter storm system that hit Feb. 8 through Feb. 19.

Lawrence, Johnson, Floyd and Martin are among 44 counties named in the requested declaration, which does not include devastating flooding that occurred earlier this month.

“The impacts of February’s ice and rain events were significant,” Beshear said. “We are thankful for the many state and local agencies and organizations who rose to the occasion to help their neighbors. Unfortunately, the damage a great number of our counties endured requires an additional response from the federal government before they can begin the recovery they desperately need.”

The system produced heavy rain, hail, sleet, freezing rain, ice, and bitter artic air, which caused impassable roadways, massive power outages, water system failures, landslides, mudslides and disruption of critical government services.

The ice storm produced from the weather system left 154,500 Kentucky homes without power at the height of the event. In the Big Sandy region, more than 51,000 Kentucky Power Company customers were without electricity by Feb. 16, while 8,500 Big Sandy RECC customers lost power by the same date.

The National Weather Service said that 3 to 5 inches of snow and 0.2 to 0.4 inches of ice were reported in Lawrence County during the weather event.

Other snowfall totals in the region included 4 inches at Thelma in Johnson County, 2 inches in Paintsville, 3.5 inches in Prestonsburg and 3.8 inches in Inez.

Freezing rain accumulations included 0.50 inches at Stambaugh in Johnson County, 0.25 inches at Bays Branch in Floyd County and 0.33 inches in Inez, the National Weather Service said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program provides funding to eligible applicants for allowable costs associated with debris removal, emergency protective actions and restoration of impacted infrastructure.

The request for a FEMA presidential disaster declaration is a complex process that includes time to conduct damage assessments following severe weather events, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Both involve local, state and federal officials review of the damages and the estimated repair costs. Following the submission of the request for a federal declaration, the decision process typically takes thirty days before FEMA issues a finding.

FEMA and Kentucky Emergency Management assessment teams are presently reviewing individual assistance reports from homeowners who were displaced and suffered damages as a result of the flooding event earlier this month. Next week, assessment teams will be working in 27 impact counties to gather public assistance reports for flooding damage to local infrastructure such as government buildings, public utilities, roadways and highways.

Residents with questions or additional reports of flood damage should contact their local county emergency management agency. For clean-up assistance, Kentuckians can contact the Kentucky Floods Cleanup Hotline at 800-451-1954 through March 26, 2021.