Eastern Kentucky flooding death toll rises to 40

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — The death toll from Eastern Kentucky flooding has risen to 40, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Tuesday update on recovery efforts.

The person died during clean-up efforts in Pike County.

“Each of these individuals is a child of God, and we mourn with all of their loved ones and all of Eastern Kentucky,” Beshear said in a press release.

He announced that Knott and Letcher counties were the first to submit requests for and receive financial assistance from the Eastern Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies Fund for recovery efforts. Together, the two counties will receive more than $1.28 million, which includes $531,000 to the Knott County Fiscal Court to relieve strained fiscal liquidity, $531,000 to the Letcher County Fiscal Court to ease strained fiscal liquidity and $220,000 to engage a floodplain coordinator.

More applications are on the way, he added.

Beshear also sent a letter to President Joe Biden seeking an additional modification to the disaster declaration to reflect a 90 percent federal cost share period once the 100 percent coverage period concludes.

Earlier last month, Biden issued a letter approving a cost-sharing arrangement for the flooding event to increase from 75 percent to 100 percent for a 30-day period within the first 120 days of the declaration. Beshear said the commonwealth is grateful for the assistance — but given the flooding impact in these communities, more cost-sharing is needed to help local and state governments recover.