Kentucky Governor Beshear Updates on Tornado Recovery, Addiction Services, and Road Safety

Tornado Recovery Efforts

• tornado FEMA individual assistance has been requested for eight counties and public assistance for 22 counties following recent tornadoes.
• 🏠 The travel trailer program is being activated with an agreement for 90 trailers from Louisiana, aiming to house impacted residents, particularly in London and Laurel County.
• ⚡ Power has been largely restored, with only 1,201 households without power, and water service is mostly stable, with 50 meters without drinking water and 200 under a boil water advisory.
• 🚧 Emergency debris removal has commenced, and transportation crews are working to clear roads and make repairs from both recent tornado damage and previous flood damage.
• 👮 Kentucky State Police and the National Guard are providing 24-hour security patrols in storm-affected areas to prevent looting.

Disaster Assistance and Deadlines

• ⚠️ Individuals impacted by the most recent tornadoes should wait to apply for FEMA assistance until individual assistance is approved by the president, as initial applications will be denied.
• 🗓️ For the April storms, the deadline to apply for FEMA individual assistance is June 25th, with over $14.4 million dispersed to 1,715 households so far.
• 📅 The deadline for FEMA assistance for the February event is May 27th for disaster unemployment assistance and May 23rd for other FEMA assistance.
• 📉 The federal request for public assistance for the January ice storm was denied, and the state will be appealing this decision.

Addiction Recovery and Community Support

• 📈 Kentucky has seen a 30.2% decrease in overdose deaths last year, a testament to ongoing efforts to combat the epidemic.
• ✅ Bell, Larue, Marion, and Washington counties have been certified as recovery-ready communities, bringing the total to 25 certified counties serving over 1.4 million residents.
• 🤝 Marion County is highlighted for its comprehensive approach, including a career center for job search assistance, harm reduction services, and programs within the detention center.

Road Safety and First Responders

• 🚗 Kentucky experienced the lowest number of lives lost to crashes in 10 years in 2024, with 707 fatalities, and has seen a 47-fatality reduction year-to-date in 2025.
• 🚨 First responders, including law enforcement, National Guard, and emergency management, are recognized as Team Kentucky Allstars for their heroic efforts in responding to the recent weather events.
• 🙏 The governor expressed gratitude for the support from federal agencies, including FEMA, and acknowledged the voluntary efforts of the city of Louisville in implementing police reforms.