FEMA individual assistance approved for 6 Kentucky counties hit by tornadoes

On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear said President Donald Trump approved a request for individual assistance for six counties after tornadoes took 19 lives.

Families in the counties of Caldwell, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Trigg, and Union are now eligible to apply for FEMA assistance.

“Remember, this process takes time and we will add more counties to our request as damage assessments are completed. Thank you to the president and Sec. Kristi Noem for this support, which is essential to helping families affected rebuild,” Beshear said.

The National Weather Service reported the EF4 tornado traveled over 59 miles through Russell, Pulaski, and Laurel counties, staying on the ground for an hour and a half with winds reaching a peak of 170 miles per hour.

Based on NWS records, the EF4 tornado was the deadliest tornado in the NWS’s Jackson, Kentucky, coverage area. The last fatality because of a tornado in Laurel County was more than a decade ago, on March 2, 2012.

In London, the last tornado was confirmed on June 2, 2001.