Additional counties added for tornado public, food assistance
Seven counties added for public assistance, two more for food assistance
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Presidential disaster declaration issued Dec. 12, 2021 for Kentucky was amended Jan. 6, 2022 to include Permanent Work under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program (PA), which supplements state and local recovery efforts. Seven additional counties have been added for Emergency Protective Measures.
Sixteen Kentucky counties designated earlier for FEMA Public Assistance after storms, flooding and tornadoes assaulted Western Kentucky on Dec. 10, 2021 are now eligible to apply for Permanent Work, Categories C-G. The affected counties are Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor, Todd, and Warren.
These 16 counties have previously been designated for FEMA Individual Assistance and assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct federal assistance under the PA program.
The following seven counties have been newly designated for PA Emergency Protective Measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance: Barren, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Grayson, Meade, Shelby, and Spencer.These benefits assist with emergency operations such as sheltering and threats to public health and safety.
FEMA’s PA program reimburses counties, states, tribes, and certain nonprofit organizations for eligible costs of disaster-related debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair and, under the Permanent Work designation, replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, such as roads, bridges, public utilities, including water treatment and electrical plants, government buildings and parks.
For more information about Kentucky tornado recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4630. Follow the FEMA Region 4 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/femaregion4.
In addition, two more counties have been added to the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) offering emergency food benefits to those affected by Dec. 10 Western Kentucky tornadoes.
Barren and Marion counties were approved by the USDA Food and Nutrition Services on Jan. 12 to operate DSNAP, which provides short-term food help to individuals and families in counties that receive a federal disaster declaration.
DSNAP provides eligible individuals and households who do not currently receive regular SNAP food benefits help buying groceries because of lost income or damages following a disaster.
With the addition, DSNAP will be available to Kentuckians living or working in Barren and Marion counties who were affected by severe winter tornadoes and storms of Dec. 10. The application period for these two counties is Tuesday, Jan. 18, through Monday, Jan. 24. Applications will not be taken on Sunday, Jan. 23.
Applications can be made by phone through the dedicated DSNAP phone line at 833-371-8570, or in person at a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) office:
- Barren County: 746D E. Main St., Glasgow
- Marion County: 634 W. Main St., Lebanon
These two counties are in addition to the 14 counties included when President Joe Biden declared a major disaster declaration on Dec.12, 2021, at Gov. Beshear’s request to make federal funding available for Kentucky families and communities to recover.
Kentuckians living and working in the previously announced counties: Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor and Warren have a three-day extension for their DSNAP application deadline – the newly announced deadline is Saturday, Jan. 15. Find office addresses online at bit.ly/3pAcVvD. Graves County has a DSNAP application location separate from the DCBS county office: 1002 Medical Center Drive, Mayfield. Hopkins County has an additional location for DSNAP applicants: 23524 Dawson Springs Road, Dawson Springs.
