State of Ky officials asking fed to expand major disaster declaration

Initial declaration issued April 10

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today) 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – State officials are asking the federal government to expand the major disaster declaration issued earlier this month, due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides on March 3 and 4. 

Currently, federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in 76 of Kentucky’s 120 counties on a cost-sharing basis, for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities that were damaged during that time.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced, “Kentucky Emergency Management is going to request that the following counties be added to that declaration: Boyle, Clinton, Fayette, Henderson, McCreary, Mercer, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne and Woodford.  If approved for public assistance, these counties would be added to the declaration.  The other 76 have already been approved for that March 3rd storm system.”

Those counties in the initial declaration issued April 10, were: Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bourbon, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clay, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Estill, Floyd, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Henry, Hopkins, Hickman, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, LaRue, Laurel, Lee, Lincoln, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, McCracken, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owen, Owsley, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster, Whitley, and Wolfe.   

Individual assistance is not included in the current disaster declaration.

At least five people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were left without power, due to the March 3-4 severe weather outbreak, especially in the western and central sections of the state.

While tornadoes and flash flooding were reported in some areas, the main culprit was a line of severe thunderstorms, followed by intense winds, with gusts that reached nearly 80 miles per hour.

High winds blew part of the roof off the terminal building at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport, striking the tower and leading to a power outage.  As a result, the airport had to shut down operations and 12 incoming flights were diverted to other airports.