Bowling Green Today

On May 6, 2024, Kentucky's federal delegation, including U.S. Senator Rand Paul, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and Representatives Hal Rogers (KY-05), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Andy Barr (KY-06), James Comer (KY-01), and Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) penned a letter to President Joe Biden. They expressed their support for Governor Andy Beshear’s request for a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Kentucky following severe weather in April.

The state was subjected to severe wind, thunderstorms, mudslides, and flooding. Over a dozen tornadoes also swept through Kentucky. At the storm's peak impact, more than 32,000 customers were left without power. Tragically, twenty-two Kentuckians were injured and one Kentuckian lost their life due to the harsh weather conditions.

In their letter to the President, the delegation wrote: “Kentucky has faced a number of Major Disasters in recent years. As you know from your previous visits, in just the past four years, Kentucky has been devastated by some of the worst tornadoes and floods in state history. Kentucky has received eight Major Disaster Declarations since 2020, not including COVID-19. Further, some counties included in the Governor’s request have been included in as many as six Major Disaster Declarations; thus federal assistance is needed."

Governor Beshear recently requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration which would unlock access to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to mitigate future disasters statewide and for individual citizens in the following 11 counties: Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union and Whitley Counties.

The full text of the letter from the Kentucky delegation can be found [here](https://www.paul.senate.gov/).