FEMA opening recovery center in Lee County

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – A temporary Disaster Recovery Center is open now through Friday in Lee County to offer in-person support to those Kentuckians who experienced loss as the result of the February severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides.

The new Disaster Recovery Center is located at Happy Top Park Community Center, 500 Happy Top Road in Beattyville. The hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. (ET) daily.

FEMA representatives can explain available assistance programs, how to apply to FEMA, and help connect survivors with resources for their recovery needs. Representatives from the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance, the Kentucky Department of Insurance and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will also be available at the recovery centers to assist survivors.

Additional Disaster Recovery Centers are scheduled to open in other Kentucky counties. Click here to find al 15 centers that are already open in Kentucky.

As of Monday, FEMA has approved more than $24 million in housing and other types of assistance to over 4,000Kentucky households. More applications are being processed daily.

FEMA Individual Assistance is available to Kentucky renters, including students and homeowners in the 16 counties that are covered by the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. They are Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Simpson and Woodford counties. 

Federal grants can help pay for temporary housing. The initial rental grant is for a one-month or two-month period and can be reviewed for further assistance. Renters may also qualify for a grant for uninsured essential personal property losses and other disaster-related expenses.

FEMA notes if you are unable to visit one of their centers, you can still apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA mobile app. The phone line is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight (ET), and help is available in most languages. The deadline to apply for assistance for flooding is April 25, 2025. 

If you have applied for benefits and received a letter from FEMA saying you are not approved for assistance, it may just be that they need more information. It’s possible that it could be something as simple as a missing document. Please read the FEMA letter carefully and entirely. If you are found ineligible, the letter will explain the reasons. If you are found eligible for assistance, the letter will explain the amount of assistance FEMA approved and information on the appropriate use of disaster assistance funds.