How To Apply for FEMA Assistance Following April Severe Storms in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. –FEMA is supporting recovery efforts for multiple disasters in Kentucky, including a new major disaster that was just declared on April 25, for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that occurred on April 2 and are continuing.

How To Apply for FEMA Assistance

Survivors in the Anderson, Butler, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Franklin, Hardin, Hopkins, Jessamine, McCracken, Mercer, Owen and Woodford counties who have disaster-caused damage or loss from the April 2 storm can apply for federal disaster assistance under the major disaster declaration DR-4864 in several ways:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center close to you, visit fema.gov/DRC, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 29169”).
• Use the FEMA mobile app.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. It is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. 

Assistance from FEMA may include grants for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your home, such as temporary housing assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs for both owners and renters, and grants for disaster-caused expenses and serious needs, such as repair or replacement of personal property and vehicles, funds for moving and storage, medical, dental, childcare and other miscellaneous items.

FEMA assistance may also be provided for repair or replacement of owner-occupied homes that serve as the household’s primary residence, including privately owned access routes, such as driveways, roads or bridges. 

Applicants should keep their current contact information on file with FEMA as the agency may need to schedule a home inspection or get additional information.

Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.

Apply Separately for Each Disaster

When two or more disasters are declared in the same state, FEMA ensures survivors receive all eligible assistance while preventing a duplication of federal benefits. Disaster survivors affected by multiple disasters should apply with FEMA separately for each individual disaster. 

When applying for FEMA assistance, be sure to specify the damage and the date it occurred to ensure you are applying under the correct declaration number.

• DR-4860-KY for the severe storms, straight-line winds, landslides and mudslides that occurred from Feb14 – March 7. Homeowners and renters in Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Simpson, Woodford counties may be eligible. The deadline to apply under DR-4860-KY is May 25.
• DR-4864-KY for the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred on April 2 and continuing. Homeowners and renters in the Anderson, Butler, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Franklin, Hardin, Hopkins, Jessamine, McCracken, Mercer, Owen and Woodford counties may be eligible. The deadline to apply under DR-4864-KY is 60 days from the date of the presidential disaster declaration. 

Homeowners and renters in Woodford County may be eligible for federal assistance under DR-4860-KY or/and DR-4864-KY. If you had property damage or loss in Woodford County from the February severe incident, and then again from the April severe incident, you will need to complete two separate disaster assistance applications.

For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4860 and www.fema.gov/disaster/4864. Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x.com/femaregion4.