One week after deadly tornadoes, more aid is on the way to victims, Beshear says
Kentuckians who lost their jobs or had their work interrupted by the devastating storms that ripped through last weekend can get special unemployment benefits, even if they are self-employed or not typically eligible for unemployment, Gov. Andy Beshear announced in a briefing Saturday.
Saturday marked one week since the worst tornado event in Kentucky’s history.
Other benefits are being made available for funeral expenses and for people without insurance who suffered damage, and more counties have been added to FEMA’s list of those covered under the disaster declaration, the governor said.
Another bright spot: Beshear said all of Kentucky’s missing persons as a result of the tornadoes have now been accounted for.
“Our hope is that means we won’t see many, maybe any more deaths,” Beshear said, though he noted that some people are still in the hospital, so the death toll could grow.
Farmers and other self-employed people who typically don’t qualify for unemployment will be able to receive disaster unemployment benefits in 14 counties if they can show that their jobs were “lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster and that they are not otherwise eligible for traditional unemployment insurance benefits under state or federal law,” Beshear’s office said in a news release.
The counties covered are Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor and Warren.
People will need to begin the process by applying for unemployment online at kcc.ky.gov or by calling (502) 875-0442.
After applying for unemployment, those seeking disaster benefits should attend an in-person session. The sessions will be offered between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 20-22 at the following locations: 801 Chestnut Street in Bowling Green, 56 Federal Street in Madisonville, 233 Ring Road in Elizabethtown, 3108 Fairview Drive in Owensboro and 1220 Eagles Way in Mayfield.
The state said other in-person sessions will be made available Dec. 27-29. The locations for those are being finalized.
Applicants for the disaster benefit will need to provide a photo ID, a bill showing their address at the time of the disaster and a confirmation of their current mailing address, and those who are self-employed are asked to bring a copy of their 2020 tax return.
“If all that’s gone, we’ll work with you,” Beshear said in the briefing Saturday.
The deadline to apply for the disaster unemployment benefit is Jan. 18.
Beshear said six new counties — Christian, Hart, Hickman, Logan, Lyon and Ohio — have been added to the federal disaster declaration and will be eligible for FEMA assistance.
People can apply for the federal aid by calling 1-800-621-3362, going online to DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA app.
The state says more than 7,770 registrations for assistance have been “validated for processing” so far, and $1.67 million in individual assistance has been approved by FEMA.
More than 10,000 insurance claims related to the storms have been filed, according to Beshear’s office.
For those without insurance, Beshear pledged on Saturday that the Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund will pay 10 percent above what FEMA provides for housing assistance. The program is still being developed, and the money can’t be used for the same expenses FEMA is paying for, Beshear said.
Beshear said the maximum people can get from FEMA to rebuild is $37,900, and the state estimates that 1,000 to 2,000 Kentucky families hurt by the tornado did not have insurance.
“We’re going to help them out,” he said.
Beshear said the Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund, which has received nearly $19.8 million in donations, is also providing $10,000 in assistance to help cover funeral expenses for families who lost a loved one.
“No one’s had to apply,” Beshear said. “We get the information directly from vital statistics and are reaching out directly to the families.”
Beshear said 78 people have died in the tornadoes, with one fatality added from Logan County, though a discrepancy in the numbers related to fatalities in Hopkins County could take the official count down to 75.
As of Saturday, the state was housing 944 people affected by the tornadoes in hotels and state parks. Of those, 636 were being housed at Kentucky state parks, where food service has also been made available.
More than 550 National Guard members were still deployed as of Saturday to distribute supplies, provide security and help manage traffic in areas with damage.
In Paducah, 11,000 people remained under a boil water advisory, Beshear said, and Mayfield remained without power, along with more than 3,800 other homes and businesses.
The governor also provided an update on the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in Kentucky during Saturday’s briefing.
This story was originally published December 18, 2021 at 5:42 PM.
