FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Monday, Governor Andy Beshear urged President Donald Trump to sign Kentucky's Expedited Major Disaster Declaration, making individual and public assistance funding available to families and communities affected by the state's recent flooding disaster.
"We're at the point now where we really need a signature on that declaration because people are hurting," said Beshear.
"The clock’s really ticking now," he added.
The White House has already approved Kentucky's request for an Emergency Disaster Declaration, which allowed federal funding for affected areas. Beshear and the state's congressional delegation advocated for the president's signature on an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration.
This designation enables qualifying survivors to receive up to $43,600 in individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Without the assistance, Beshear said many Kentucky families would have been "hit really hard."
"For people who had a total loss, even the $42,000 isn't going to make them whole, but at least it's going to help them a little bit," Beshear said. "For those who have had their homes ruined, at least that's some money to get back up on their feet. Without it, you're not only going to see people harmed, but devastated."
"When you look at the public assistance, some of these disasters are hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to our roads and our water systems," he added. "And the state would ultimately - and the counties - be on the hook for the majority of that, as opposed to the federal government coming in and saying 'we're going to help you out like we have in the past.'"
Beshear said this additional assistance was critical for Kentucky's recovery during past emergencies.
"Since I've become governor, we've had either 12 or 13 federally declared disasters. That is [during] five years and change. We have just been hit hard with billions of dollars worth of damage," Beshear said. "Without federal assistance, we couldn't do it. Without federal assistance, we couldn't have made it through all of those natural disasters. And our people, certainly, couldn't have made it through all those natural disasters."
Beshear said federal funding was approved faster during past emergencies. However, he said the damage is more widespread this time.
"Of the two biggest disasters that we had - the 2021 tornadoes and the 2022 flooding - we did see that declaration signed sooner than we have here. But [the recent flooding event] also required a couple of days for us to submit the paperwork because it's so widespread and in those other two, you could fly over one region and see that we were going to qualify for it," Beshear said. "I don't want to do a direct comparison because I don't think it's apples to apples."
However, Beshear stressed the urgency of the situation.
"All we're asking is that the federal government step in and help out, just like they've done in the past. And if we can get that assistance, we'll be grateful," he said.
Beshear added that he traveled to the White House on Friday and spoke with the deputy chief of staff to President Trump and the acting director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development about approving the request.
He also reported that the number of deaths tied to the flooding and freezing temperatures has increased to 22 people.
