News and Media: Disaster 4630

The U.S. Economic Development Administration in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering a series of economic recovery webinars for small businesses in Western Kentucky on July 26, Aug. 2 and Aug. 9.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky and FEMA have approved $1,589,191 to reimburse utility cooperative Big Rivers Electric Corporation for expenses resulting from the mid-December 2021 tornadoes, which damaged power lines and conductors affecting 56.7 miles of transmission line. The Henderson County-based cooperative, which sits on the Ohio River across from Evansville, Ind., provides wholesale electric power and services to three distribution cooperative members across 22 counties in western Kentucky.

As homeowners and renters recover from the tornadoes, particularly after you have applied for FEMA assistance, your circumstances may have changed.

MAYFIELD, Ky. – Evidence of clean-up and recovery is beginning to show in the heart of this tornado- stricken city. Downtown streets are mostly passable, the bricks and rubble from shattered buildings removed from some blocks. The site of the demolished candle factory that drew the sympathy of the nation is now a vacant lot.

Recovery operations continue on multiple fronts six months after the Kentucky tornadoes on Dec. 10-11, 2021. At the request of the state, a federal emergency declaration was issued Dec. 11 and President Biden approved a major disaster declaration Dec. 12. As of June 1, a total of $81.9 million in federal disaster assistance was approved for survivors. Below are the recovery highlights: