disaster
State-run disaster relief funds had error rates below 1%, two reports find
Nearly all relief payments to Kentucky disaster survivors from state-run relief funds were made without error, according to reports released Tuesday, one by the Kentucky auditor and another by an inspector general in the Beshear administration. Republican Auditor Mike Harmon and the Office of the Inspector General of the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet launched […]
Second worker dies trapped in collapsed coal-preparation plant in Martin County
The second of two workers who were trapped inside a collapsed coal preparation plant in Martin County has died. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in a Friday afternoon post on the social media platform X confirmed the death. The Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper had identified the second worker as 57-year-old Alvin Nees, who had been missing after […]
Search continues for man missing in collapsed coal plant in Eastern Kentucky
The search for a worker missing in the collapse of an idle coal-preparation plant is moving into a new phase as rescuers who have been combing through the wreckage now plan to use heavy equipment to remove debris, emergency officials said Thursday. One worker, pinned under a metal beam, died Wednesday after being found by […]
Two additional ‘higher ground’ communities announced in southeastern Kentucky, bringing total plans to seven
Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration last week announced plans for “higher ground” developments in Floyd and Letcher counties, bringing the total to seven, as part of rebuilding efforts from floods in 2021 and 2022. The 92-acre Grand View site off U.S. 23 in the Letcher County town of Jenkins will have room for 115 homes partially […]
Report: Flood insurance cost a barrier to Eastern Kentucky recovery
The cost of flood insurance is a large recovery barrier for people living in Eastern Kentucky flood plains, says a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Researcher Matt Klesta reported what locals have said: Flood insurance is too expensive for most residents. Also, floods have made affordable housing problems worse and driven locals […]
Few in Eastern Kentucky could afford flood insurance. Now it costs even more.
Few in Eastern Kentucky have flood insurance or have ever been able to afford it. A federal agency’s new pricing system is putting it even further out of reach, jeopardizing eligibility for federal aid after future floods. The cost of flood insurance is a major reason that Terry Thies is trying to sell her family […]
Almost $1.4 million grant will support legal services to Kentucky flood victims, hotline
AppalRed Legal Aid will use a $1,345,226 grant to add staff to help low-income Kentuckians still trying to recover from last year’s severe storms, floods and mudslides, according to a news release from the Prestonsburg-based nonprofit. AppalReD, or the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, is one of 14 organizations around the country sharing […]
Some ‘in limbo’ more than a year after deadly floods hit Eastern Kentucky
More than a year after four feet of water flooded her house, Nancy Herald still doesn’t know when – or if – she’ll return to the home that’s been in her family for nearly five decades. Driving past the homeplace, even, is too painful. Sometimes she goes inside; sometimes she just passes quietly. And sometimes, […]
Biden asks Congress for $40B for Ukraine aid, U.S. disaster response, border security
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve more than $40 billion in additional spending for Ukraine, border security, FEMA’s disaster response and wildland firefighters pay. The supplemental spending request comes in the middle of Congress’ annual August recess, giving lawmakers weeks to mull over the proposal for additional spending before returning to […]
20 minutes — and a world of worry — away from the political theatrics
BARDWELL — Mayor Philip King has a problem. A flash flood on July 19 turned Bardwell’s Front Street into a river and dumped at least seven inches of water on city hall. Spending the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed for repairs would be a waste, he says, because the building would just flood again, […]
5 Mayfield families get new homes as Western Kentucky rebuilds from tornadoes
Five Mayfield families were given keys to new homes Friday as the region continues to rebuild after devastating tornadoes as well as recent flooding. Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined The Hope Initiative in bestowing the keys, a governor’s office press release said. The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund gave $500,000 […]
After flood anniversary, Beshear says $2 million will secure Floyd County rebuilding site
The day after the one-year anniversary of devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced plans to provide 34 single-family homes to house flood survivors. Beshear said Thursday that $2 million in Community Development Block Grant funds will be given to the county to acquire two vacant lots — a total of 34 acres […]