Damaged building in Jeffersontown's industrial park near Plantside Drive

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Another FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is now open in Trimble County to help victims from the severe storms that moved through Kentucky in April.

The center is located at the Trimble County Board of Education, 116 Wentworth Ave. in Bedford, according to a news release. It's open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Sunday hours are 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Disaster Recovery Centers are one-stop shops that provide information and advice on available assistance from state, federal and community organizations. You can get help to apply for FEMA assistance, learn the status of your FEMA application, understand the letters you get from FEMA and get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistance.

Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration and resources from the commonwealth are also available at the centers.

No appointment is needed when visiting a Disaster Recovery Center.

To find all FEMA center locations, visit fema.gov/drc or text "DRC" and a Zip Code to 43362.

Deadline to apply

FEMA is encouraging Kentuckians affected by the April storms to apply for federal disaster assistance as soon as possible. The deadline is June 25.

The help is available to 13 counties impacted by the flooding, severe weather, tornadoes, landslides and mudslides that started April 2.

Those counties include: Anderson, Butler, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Franklin, Hardin, Hopkins, Jessamine, McCracken, Mercer, Owen and Woodford counties.

Assistance includes grants that can be used for temporary housing and home repairs, or low-interest loans that can help cover uninsured property losses. Other programs are also available to help residents and business owners recover.

In-person visits are not required to apply for FEMA assistance. Applications are also accepted online at DisasterAssistance.gov and via the FEMA App for mobile devices. You can also call 800-621-3362. 

To apply online, register by clicking here or by calling 1-800-621-3362. The FEMA app, which can be downloaded here, can also be used to register.

When applying for assistance, residents are asked to make sure their documents are uploaded online through the FEMA app or on the disaster assistance website; their damaged home is their primary residence; they haven't received help for the same losses from another source, including insurance; they are able to be reached by FEMA at the contact information provided in the application.

FEMA decisions can be appealed on the disaster recovery website or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center. They can also be sent by mail or by fax. 

Documentation required to apply

When you apply, you will need to provide:

  • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
  • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
  • Your Social Security Number.
  • A general list of damage and losses.
  • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
  • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

Deadline extended to apply for unemployment help

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday the state's request for a 30-day extension to apply for disaster unemployment assistance has been extended for those impacted by the April storms.

Last month, the state announced it would be expanding assistance to 24 for a total of 37 counties eligible for help to those who are out of work as a result of severe storms, winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began April 2.

According to a news release, U.S. President Donald Trump approved Beshear's request for a major disaster declaration in response to severe storms April 24. Trump then approved an amendment to the declaration to expand assistance to 24 counties May 14. 

The original counties approved were Anderson, Boone, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Franklin, Hardin, Hopkins, Jessamine, McCracken, Mercer, Owen and Woodford counties. The additional counties added to the Individual Assistance and DUA eligibility are Breckinridge, Bullitt, Calloway, Daviess, Garrard, Grayson, Hancock, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Jefferson, LaRue, Lincoln, McLean, Meade, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Pendleton, Powell, Trimble, Warren and Webster counties.

According to a news release, people unemployed or self-employed living or working in the affected areas and became unemployed or had work interrupted as a direct result of the flooding that occurred in Kentucky starting April 2 are eligible to apply for DUA benefits through the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance. 

According to a news release, DUA is available to people 

  • Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work;
  • Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment as a direct result of a disaster, which can also include the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state or local government in immediate response to the disaster;
  • Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income;
  • Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state;
  • Cannot work or resume self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster; or
  • As a result of the disaster, became the breadwinner or major supporter of a household because of the death of the head of the household.

To qualify, claimants in eligible counties have to show their employment or self-employment was lost in interrupted as a direct result of the disaster and they are not otherwise eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under state or federal law. According to a news release, farmers and other self-employed people who traditionally are ineligible for unemployment insurance can also qualify for DUA. 

To file a claim visit the Kentucky Career Center website by clicking here or call (502) 564-2900. The deadline to apply is June 23. 

For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4860 and www.fema.gov/disaster/4864. Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x.com/femaregion4.

Related Coverage:

FEMA assistance now available in 6 Kentucky counties hit by severe weather, tornadoes

FEMA opens disaster recovery centers in Bullitt, Jefferson, Oldham counties for April storms

24 additional Kentucky counties approved for federal assistance after April flooding

Washington County residents say warning sirens didn't sound before deadly EF2 tornado

Louisville officials explain requirements for FEMA assistance for storm victims

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