KENTUCKY TODAY

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that its temporary housing program is scheduled to end for survivors of the July 2022 deadly flooding in eastern Kentucky, on Jan. 29, 2024.

Eighteen months after a major disaster declaration was issued for the region, 129 households have been licensed into temporary housing in Eastern Kentucky. Of that number, 77 households have since found permanent housing with the help of this program. Temporary housing has been available in Breathitt, Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Perry and Pike counties.

Kentuckians participating in this program have been informed via mail that it will be concluding. They will also receive a hand-delivered letter 90 days before the program ends. The letter will state that the Direct Temporary Housing program will end on Jan. 29, 2024, and survivors will have until then to move to alternate housing.

While this FEMA program is scheduled to end, help is still available. Homeowners and renters getting temporary housing assistance from FEMA still have options. Survivors in temporary housing are strongly encouraged to contact their disaster case manager for help. They may also reach out to voluntary agencies and long-term recovery groups in their area for assistance finding suitable housing before the June deadline.

For more information, survivors are encouraged to contact their disaster case manager or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.

This housing program helps fill the need for short-term housing allowing survivors time to identify permanent housing solutions. Survivors work directly with disaster case managers to assess their housing needs and help them build a permanent housing plan.

From July 25-30, 2022, several complexes of thunderstorms brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding and devastating river flooding to eastern Kentucky, with rainfall rates of four inches or more per hour reported in some areas.

The National Weather Service office in Jackson says radar-based rainfall estimates suggest up to 16 inches of rain fell in some areas during that time, leading to some record river flooding in the region.

Around 45 people lost their lives due to the flooding.