FEMA approves More Than $18.93 Million in Federal Funding for Kentucky Division of Emergency Management

FRANKFORT, Ky. – FEMA has approved more than $18.93 million for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM) for debris removal operations undertaken to remove debris deposited throughout Kentucky by last summer’s severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides.

Following the storms and flooding, debris removal, part of FEMA’s Public Assistance program, was essential in helping address the immediate threat to the general public’s health and safety as well as to property.

“Debris removal is a big hurdle to overcome in response to a disaster,” said KYEM Director Jeremy Slinker. “We confronted many challenges in this undertaking. I am grateful and pleased that many partners joined in helping Eastern Kentucky.”

Approximately 80, 872 tons of vegetative debris, 59,093 tons of construction and demolition debris, 1,439 of destroyed and/or damaged household appliance, 477 units of E-Waste (refrigerants from appliances. This is working fluid used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps which in most cases undergo a repeated phase of transition from a liquid to a gas and back again).

Debris was removed to 10 permitted temporary debris storage and reduction sites, and then hauled to a final disposal site. (The total amount of debris was approximately the size of a football field).

FEMA Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program. The federal cost for this project is 75% and 25% for the Commonwealth. All work and costs were between Aug. 8, 2022 and Feb. 1, 2023.

FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer John Brogan, said, “In keeping with our mission, FEMA responded to Kentuckians’ plight by reducing local communities’ hardship and helping to restore some normalcy in their lives.”

The project costs are for $23,972,236 for Debris Removal, $1,275,878 for Debris Monitoring, which totaled $25,248,115, funded at a 75% federal cost share of $18,936,086.

For more information on eastern Kentucky’s recovery from last year’s historic flooding, visit fema.gov/disaster/4663. Follow FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.