President Obama Announces Emergency Declaration For Kentucky

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January 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that Federal emergency aid has been made available for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to help supplement state and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm during the period January 27, 2009, and continuing.

FEMA Acting Administrator Nancy Ward said the assistance was authorized under an emergency declaration issued for the commonwealth by President Obama. The President's action makes federal funding, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding.

The assistance is for the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Clark, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Garrard, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Larue, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Shelby, Todd, Trigg, Union, Washington, Webster, Wolfe, and Woodford.

Ward named Kim R. Kadesch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Kadesch said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are complete.

Source: FEMA