Flooding damaged hundreds of private bridges in Eastern KY. Some could get FEMA relief
A number of privately owned bridges – ones that once enabled eastern Kentucky residents to cross creeks and commute to school or work – now lay in ruins after July’s wave of devastating flash floods.
Those who use the bridges may now be eligible for federal assistance with rebuilds, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday.
Beshear announced 423 private bridges across a dozen counties have been registered for federal relief. The washed out bridges are set to be assessed by personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Beshear said, though that doesn’t necessarily indicate they’ll meet the eligibility requirements for assistance.
Local officials who previously spoke with the Herald-Leader about the issue described the rebuilding process as a massive undertaking.
“We won’t be done in a year” fixing all of them, Breathitt County Judge-Executive Jeff Noble previously told the Herald-Leader.
Many of the bridges in the hardest-hit Kentucky counties provide access to only one or two homes, but there are others still that serve multiple. Because county taxpayer dollars cannot be used to repair private property, that leaves affected residents financially on the hook.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency advises it may be able to help in some circumstances. When the bridge provides access to multiple homes, the application process can get complicated, however.
Here’s what to know about how to apply, along with what pitfalls and headaches to avoid.
Who qualifies for repair assistance with privately owned bridges?
According to FEMA, to get Home Repair Assistance for privately owned access routes the following conditions must be met:
The applicant is responsible (or shares responsibility with other homeowners) for maintaining the privately owned access route to their primary residence.
The privately owned access route is the only way to reach the applicant’s primary residence; repair (or replacement) of a secondary route is necessary for practical use (for example, it is impossible to access the residence without a bridge or road); or the safety of the occupants or the residence would be adversely affected because commonwealth or local government emergency equipment (ambulances, fire trucks) cannot reach the residence.
A FEMA inspection determines repairs are necessary to provide drivable access to the primary residence.
What if multiple homes are served by the private route? Who applies?
In these cases, FEMA encourages all affected homeowners to apply for assistance.
If multiple homes share a privately owned access route, assistance is split between the applicants, and that requires additional coordination and documentation between FEMA and the applicants, the agency said. Sometimes, more than one owner may receive funds for a contractor’s estimate, a grant amount between $179 and $195.
The agency said applicants will need to appeal for more aid in these cases.
An appeal can be sent to the following:
Survivors can bring their appeal to their local disaster recovery center which can be found online at fema.gov/drc.
They can mail it to Individuals and Households Program, National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
They can fax it to 800-827-8112.
If a disaster assistance center account has been created, applicants can also upload documents through the upload center in their online account at disasterassistance.gov.
In these situations, FEMA will also need applicants to:
Submit written consent from all applicants as pertains to the shared privately owned access route.
Submit a declarative statement affirming any assistance FEMA provides will be used to make repairs to the access route and that the applicant understands they are responsible for getting permits and complying with local codes and ordinances.
Confirm the households are not part of a homeowner’s association or covenant responsible for repair of the access route, or that the established homeowner’s association or covenant is unable to receive assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration or private insurance to repair the access route.
How do I apply for assistance from FEMA?
Homeowners and renters in Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Whitley counties qualify for assistance.
The deadline to apply for assistance for the round of flooding that began July 26 is Sept. 28.
You can apply by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.
You can also go online to disasterassistance.gov or use the FEMA mobile app.
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