The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced earlier this week that federal disaster assistance has been made available to Grayson and dozens of other Kentucky counties.
FEMA said the monetary assistance was made available after Pres. Joe Biden made a Major Disaster Declaration for Grayson and 75 other counties. The federal dollars are earmarked to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that occurred on March 3-4.
“The action makes federal funding available to affected state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities,” FEMA said in a press release.
In addition to Grayson County, the other counties affected by the Major Disaster Declaration are: Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bourbon, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clay, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Estill, Floyd, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Graves, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Henry, Hopkins, Hickman, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, LaRue, Laurel, Lee, Lincoln, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, McCracken, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owen, Owsley, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster, Whitley and Wolfe.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Myra M. Shird has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in Kentucky.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of ongoing damage assessments, FEMA said.
A thunderstorm packing 80 mile per hour winds struck Grayson County on Friday, March 3, at approximately 1:30, causing dozens of trees and utility poles to fall and keeping first responders going at a frenetic pace to keep up with the calls for service.
Every fire department in the county responded to multiple trees and utility poles down across roadways, including Peonia Road in Clarkson, Sunbeam Road, Brandenburg Road, Central Avenue, Goff Drive, West Walnut Street, White Street and others in Leitchfield, multiple locations on Shrewsbury Road and Anneta Road, Wax Road, Millerstown Street, Spring Street in Clarkson, Hardin Springs Road, Grayson Springs Road, Dog Creek Road, Elizabethtown Road, Beaver Dam Road, Yeaman Road, Miller Orchard Road, and multiple locations on Spurrier Road among many others.
Additionally:
- The roof came off a building on Leitchfield’s North Cannon Drive adjacent to Sav-A-Lot, bringing utility lines down on top of two vehicles.
- Beaver Dam Road, at what is popularly referred to as Rock Crusher Hill, was closed for about an hour after a large tree brought power lines down and blocked the roadway.
- The Leitchfield Fire Department responded to a tree down on a backyard enclosure containing four cats on Central Avenue. Firefighters used chain saws to free the pets.
- The Anneta Fire Department, in addition to several other calls for service, responded to Chestnut Drive after a boat was tossed into the roadway.
- The Caneyville Fire Department has responded to dozens of calls of trees and lines down throughout Caneyville proper and in nearby areas. As of this writing, Fire Chief Brian Pharris and his team were clearing multiple downed trees off Dog Creek Road.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
