Fema

The FEMA disaster recovery center for Boyle County residents and businesses that suffered water damage from the heavy flooding at the beginning of May is at the Burgin Fire Department, 204 Main St. in Burgin. Take Ky. 33 north from Danville to reach Burgin, then turn left at the caution light and the fire department will be on the left by city hall. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The center will be closed on holidays and Sundays.

A deadline of July 12 has been set for residents with flood damage to register with the Federal Emergency Management agency. No applications for assistance will be taken after this date. The FEMA disaster recovery center for Boyle County residents and businesses that suffered water damage from the heavy flooding at the beginning of May is at the Burgin Fire Department, 204 Main St. in Burgin. Take Ky. 33 north from Danville to reach Burgin, then turn left at the caution light and the fire department will be on the left by city hall.

In a recent letter to Kentucky newspaper editors, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Doug Mayne rhetorically asked, “If you knew that an organism in your house could cause serious health problems wouldn’t you want to know about it?” For those in the county who were affected by the recent flood, the answer should be a resounding, “Yes!” FEMA forwarded important information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explaining that mold caused by contaminated materials, moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks in the home.

More than a month after the area was inundated with floodwaters, residents and governments are seeking assistance to repair damaged homes and businesses and rebuild infrastructure. After Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives conducted preliminary surveys of the damage several weeks ago, Boyle, Casey, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer counties all qualified for both public and individual assistance. Counties and cities already have submitted preliminary estimates of damage to FEMA.

By Michael Broihier Acting Lincoln Director of Emergency Management Troy Gingrass and Health Department Preparedness Planner Lynn Wisehart attended a Federal Emergency Management Agency workshop Tuesday about applying for funds available for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The $50 million FEMA has made available in the wake of hurricane, ice and wind damage is the most that has ever been offered to Kentucky. Wisehart said that FEMA is eager to help counties, municipalities and non-profit groups take advantage of the opportunity.

HARRODSBURG - Residents of Mercer County, including the cities of Burgin and Harrodsburg, who suffered damage in the tornadoes of Feb. 6 should register with FEMA for disaster assistance. FEMA has established a disaster recovery center at Lion's Community Park, 450 E. Factory St., Harrodsburg. The center will be open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. For additional information, call the FEMA disaster hotline at 1-800-621-3362.

Dear Editor, President Obama declared Boyle County a disaster area. Money was made available to the state for help in the clean-up process but not for individual homeowners. When my homeowner's policy contained a ceiling of $5,000 for water seepage and my damages were closer to $10,000 for sewage cleanup, lost items, damage to furnace, hot water heater, washer, dryer and other items, I assumed I would be able to rely on FEMA to help with some of the financial horror, similar to a hurricane.

STANFORD - Lincoln County is purchasing the first two of 21 flood-prone properties it plans to demolish and turn into permanent green space with the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Lincoln magistrates approved Tuesday $103,125 in refundable expenses to purchase a property with a trailer home on Chrisman Spur near Boyle County and another property on Shanks Lane in Rowland. FEMA is providing the county with a total of $789,500 to purchase the 21 properties and the county has agreed to demolish any structures on the properties and clear them away.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance process is state-driven, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky decides what kind of and how much relief is requested from the agency. According to Jim Homstad, public affairs spokesperson for FEMA in Kentucky, President Barack Obama made a major disaster declaration for 93 counties in Kentucky, and the declaration includes only assistance for certain entities. The declaration came after a request from Gov. Steve Beshear. And while there may be mixed messages regarding what the declaration meant for local residents, Homstad said there's a very definite area covered by the declaration.

The Wilmore City Council suspended the rules and voted Monday night to approve sending a check of $4,462 to the Jessamine County Fiscal Court from the already stressed general fund in an effort to recoup federal aid needed after the 2009 ice storm. The horrendous, now almost infamous ice storm ravaged Jessamine County in January  2009, and its financial tolls are still being felt. “During that time, the three government bodies of Wilmore, Nicholasville and the Jessamine County Fiscal Court locked arm-in-arm for a coordinated effort to handle the disaster,” said Dave Carlstedt, Wilmore utilities and public works director.

STANFORD - Mayor Bill Miracle is hopeful Stanford won't have to return any of the approximately $100,000 it received from the federal government for recovery costs following the devastating 2009 ice storm. Miracle told city council members last week that financial records from the ice storm recovery have been re-organized and re-submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA returned the documents earlier this year, telling Stanford officials the records were too disorganized to understand.

STANFORD - Lincoln County is purchasing the first two of 21 flood-prone properties it plans to demolish and turn into permanent green space with the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Lincoln magistrates approved Tuesday $103,125 in refundable expenses to purchase a property with a trailer home on Chrisman Spur near Boyle County and another property on Shanks Lane in Rowland. FEMA is providing the county with a total of $789,500 to purchase the 21 properties and the county has agreed to demolish any structures on the properties and clear them away.

STANFORD - Janice Rowe's family has owned a small trailer park along U.S. 27 for 40 years, but these days, it's all but a ghost town. Besides the trailer Rowe lives in at one end of the park, the rest are empty and disheveled, damaged years ago by flooding. Perched against a bank of the Dix River north of Stanford, Rowe's trailers stand on some of the most easily flooded land in the county. “We've had three floods in that 40-year period,” she said. “Before, if you were flooded, you were able to pull your trailers out and put something back.

The Wilmore City Council suspended the rules and voted Monday night to approve sending a check of $4,462 to the Jessamine County Fiscal Court from the already stressed general fund in an effort to recoup federal aid needed after the 2009 ice storm. The horrendous, now almost infamous ice storm ravaged Jessamine County in January  2009, and its financial tolls are still being felt. “During that time, the three government bodies of Wilmore, Nicholasville and the Jessamine County Fiscal Court locked arm-in-arm for a coordinated effort to handle the disaster,” said Dave Carlstedt, Wilmore utilities and public works director.

The Clark Regional Foundation for the Promotion of Health is giving the Clark County Fiscal Court three acres to build a new Emergency Operations Center. The property is located behind the old hospital building between Maryland Avenue and McCann Drive. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will fund the $3.6 million project, Gary Epperson, director of the Winchester-Clark County Emergency Management Office, and Judge-Executive Henry Branham announced during Wednesday's Fiscal Court meeting.

Volunteers from Forks of Dix River Baptist Church and Pleasant Grove Christian Church are planning a trip to the Frenchburg area to rebuild a structure not covered by FEMA or other assistance. Anyone wishing to participate in the Menifee County aid project may contact  the Rev. Jerry Browning at (859) 339-3409.  The group will leave 7 a.m. Saturday and return that evening. Frenchburg Baptist Church will provide lunch for the volunteers.   To contribute to a rebuilding fund for Menifee County victims, donations may be sent to Traditional Bank, P.O. Box 45, Frenchburg, KY 40322.

Beginning at 2 p.m. today, Clark County will be part of a first-time nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. The Emergency Alert System test is a collaboration of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security. The 30-second test will be similar to the FCC required weekly and monthly tests already conducted by local radio and television stations, Clark County Emergency Management Director Gary Epperson said.

Several Boyle County residents may have to add flood insurance to their list of bills this summer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued new floodplain maps for Boyle County in 2010, and about 30 houses that were not previously in a floodplain may be included now, Public Works Supervisor Duane Campbell said Tuesday at the Boyle County Fiscal Court meeting. Every stream in Boyle County has a separate floodplain, and no floodplain in particular expanded more than the others, he said.

Congressman Ben Chandler announced this week that Junction City Fire Department will receive $24,681 in federal funding for turnout gear. Turnout gear includes protective coats, pants, gloves, boots and helmets for firefighters. “The work you do on a daily basis is tremendous,” Chandler told firefighters. “Thank you for protecting the people of Junction City — it is a big job, and you all absolutely need the best equipment to keep you safe.” The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.