UTILITY COOPERATIVE AWARDED $1.5 MILLION FOR 2021 TORNADO DAMAGE
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20220722/utility-cooperative-awarded-15-million-2021-tornado-damage]


Release Date: 
July 20, 2022 

FRANKFORT, Ky. – 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.

The Dec. 10-11 tornadoes damaged 27 metal and 10 wood power poles, 69
insulators and 15,600 feet of conductor in Ohio County. Funding from
FEMA’s Public Assistance program covers labor, replacement of the
equipment, materials and contracts for in-kind repairs.

FEMA’s cost for the project is $1,430,271 for work completed Dec. 10
to Jan. 14.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants for state and local
governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to reimburse
the eligible cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and
facility restoration.

Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program. Under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2022, federal reimbursement for eligible Public
Assistance projects shall not be less than 90% of total eligible
costs. Typically, the federal cost share is 75%. The federal share is
paid directly to the commonwealth to disburse to agencies, local
governments and the nonprofit organizations that incurred costs.

For information on Kentucky’s recovery from the tornadoes, visit
fema.gov/disaster/4630 [https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4630]. Follow
FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter
[https://twitter.com/femaregion4] and at facebook.com/fema
[http://www.facebook.com/fema].