Following west Kentucky’s bout with brutal December 10 and 11 storms, more financial assistance is on the way for uninsured homeowners and renters.
During his Thursday afternoon news conference, Governor Andy Beshear guaranteed more than 1,400 uninsured Kentuckians would receive not just a 10% extra payment of their FEMA support as originally sought and designated, but a 20% award — all of which is coming from the Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.
Already, Beshear said the publicly-and-privately-funded financial drive has paid out in-full for the services and funerals of 77 Kentuckians who died in those storms, with each of those families contacted directly by the Governor’s Office.
From there, the intent was always to follow with boosted payments on top of FEMA’s grants, in what Beshear said was an effort to help build back what someone originally possessed.
In total, Beshear said these payments — as of now — will go to 475 uninsured homeowners, and 987 uninsured renters across the Commonwealth, while the remaining portions of the Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund will continue to help with extended recovery efforts, particularly through months 6-through-24 of rebuilding properties and livelihoods.
Applying for FEMA assistance is the quickest streamline to these payments, and Beshear added that his office will continue to use vetted efforts, like FEMA, to help ward off the potential for fraudulent claims.
Kentucky homeowners and renters who suffered any amount of damage from these storms have until February 11 to apply for help from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
