FEMA Assistance Available for Personal Property Loss

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky residents who experienced damage from the February severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides may be eligible for FEMA assistance. Homeowners and renters in Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Simpson counties are encouraged to apply.  

FEMA assistance covers basic needs. It will not restore all disaster-related property loss. Insurance coverage is the best means to recover after a natural disaster. However, Personal Property Loss assistance may repair or replace disaster-damaged property if conditions meet the eligibility requirements, and the item(s) may fall within any of these categories:

• Appliances: Includes standard household appliances, such as a refrigerator, washing machine, etc.
• Clothing: Essential clothing needed due to overall loss, damage, or contamination.
• Home Furnishings: Basic furnishings found in a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room.
• Tools Required for Work and School: Tools and equipment required for your job and items required as a condition of an applicant’s or household member’s education. This assistance also applies to self-employed individuals.
• Computing Devices: Funds to cover replacement of one personal or family computer. Funds for additional computers required for work or school may be approved.
• Accessible Items: FEMA also provides assistance for damaged personal property required for qualified applicants with disabilities. 

Conditions for Eligibility

• To be eligible, these items must have been owned prior to February 14 and be damaged by the flooding.
• The item was owned and in use by occupants of the household.
• FEMA does not provide assistance for furnishings and/or appliances provided by a landlord.
• Items used by guests and relatives who were not members of the pre-disaster household are not eligible for assistance.
• FEMA may not repair or replace a storm-damaged item if residents own a similar item that works.

How To Apply for FEMA Assistance

• Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find the nearest one, text your zip code to ‘43362’ or visit FEMA.gov/drc.
• Call FEMA at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Download and use the FEMA app.

The deadline to apply for federal assistance is April 25.

For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw.

For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4860. Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x.com/femaregion4.