Kentucky will receive millions in funding to rebuild after historic flooding, tornadoes

Kentucky is set to receive nearly $75 million to help with recovery efforts following natural disasters last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday.

The Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program funding will assist communities that were impacted by record ice storms, flooding and the deadly tornadoes that hit Western Kentucky in December.

“Our people have been hit hard,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at the news conference. “We faced record flooding. We faced ice storms. We faced flooding after ice storms. … Then, in December, we had the most devastating, most deadly tornado events in our history.”

In February 2021, parts of northeastern and southern Kentucky were left without electricity for days after back-to-back winter storms.

The next month, flooding caused major damage in Eastern Kentucky. In downtown Beattyville, water reached a depth of 6 to 7 feet.

In December, Western Kentucky communities were hit by a series of overnight tornadoes that left more than 80 people dead and caused billions of dollars worth of damage. In Dawson Springs, more than 75% of the housing stock was destroyed.

Beshear said the tornadoes knocked down the towns but it “cannot and will not knock us down.”

The HUD funds will be used “to the highest and best use that can help rebuild our towns that have been impacted especially by tornadoes, but also flooding and ice storms,” he said.

HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said the funds can be used for housing, including new construction or rehabilitating infrastructure, along with rebuilding or replacing public infrastructure, schools, healthcare facilities, water, wastewater, economic revitalization, job training and workforce development.

“Natural disasters have pummeled Kentucky over the past year, causing devastation across our Commonwealth…,” U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said. “The Community Development Block Grant program plays an important role in helping communities fill funding gaps in their recovery efforts and I am incredibly pleased with today’s allocation.”

In order to receive funding, the state or cities will need to develop an action plan of how they will use the funds and receive public comment. The plan will then be reviewed by HUD who will award money to the grantee. The process can take from a few months to a year.

This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 5:00 PM.