President Biden approves major disaster declaration for March 3 storms

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - President Biden declared a major disaster in Kentucky caused by intense wind in March. This disaster declaration means federal aid is on its way to the Commonwealth.

Cleanup efforts are continuing in Fayette County, including at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, where the wind destroyed sixteen historic trees in March.

The storms that pushed across the Commonwealth caused damage in every single county.

“Every county had some kind of damage related to this storm,” said the Division of Kentucky Emergency Management Director Jeremy Slinker.

“Once those damages are validated, and each county has a threshold, and that county meets that threshold, then the state will add that county to the request for federal assistance through a federal declaration,” said Slinker.

“$4.44 a person, under their population, is the county threshold,” said Slinkler.

Once they meet that threshold, federal aid becomes available.

“It opens the doors to federal disaster relief, and there’s multiple federal programs that are available to help,” said Slinker. This particular is the federal assistance program, and that means it will help your government repair their publicly owned buildings and facilities. A facility can be a building, but it can also be a roadway, it can be a bridge, a power company, or any type of public utility that’s used as well as certain nonprofits.”

It turns out, March is by far the month with the most disaster declarations in Kentucky.

Fayette and Woodford counties are not in the original declaration but could be added in the days to come as county leaders continue to tally up damages to determine if they meet each county threshold.

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