PROSPECT, KY. (WDRB) -- About three months ago, an EF-2 tornado touched down in Prospect, Kentucky. And now, several homes still need repairs.
On April 2, a tornado started in Jeffersonville, crossed the Ohio River and continued into Prospect. It hit the Beechland Beech area hard.
Some neighbors said they've had to live in hotels and apartments while they want to get their house fixed.
For the past 10 weeks, Carl Jennings hasn't been able to live at home. The tornado destroyed his home.
"You will have to look at the silver lining and sometimes tornadoes can be more devastating than it was for us," Jennings said. "Nobody died."
Jennings lived in a hotel for 16 days then moved his family into an apartment. He said they can't move back home until crews finish repairing the dry wall, roof, siding and floors.
"It worked out tremendously well considering the circumstances," he said. "So we just started to try to stay positive."
Jennings said the repairs have cost his insurance company hundreds of thousands of dollars. The U.S. Small Business Administration wants to help families speed up the recovery process.
It's offering disaster-relief home disaster loans to people who live in Jefferson and Oldham Counties.
"The fact that the federal government is providing something to help people, I think that's great," Jennings said.
To qualify, applicants must have a credit history and proof of the ability to repay all loans.
"We are present in person," SBA Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed said. "The president deeply cares about this program and makes sure we respond to the disasters.
According to SBA, homeowners can borrow up to $100,000 in federal funding to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property including cars.
"The loans are lower cost, they tend to be longer term," Syed said. "We will be here as long as it takes to help this community recover."
SBA also offers small business disaster loans. The deadline to apply for any federal funding ends on July 22nd. For more information, click here.
"As soon as we have your application, we are striving to get back to you as soon as possible, usually in about three weeks" Syed said.
For Jennings, programs like this give his family hope.
"We're rebuilding if we can but the kids, basically for them, it's my main priority," Jennings said. "This is like a long vacation for them."
Related Stories:
- At least 1 dead in Louisville, thousands without power as storms move through Kentuckiana
- 2 weeks after damaging tornadoes, Kentuckiana communities continue to clean up the mess
- EF2 tornado in Oldham County severely damages home of Louisville police officer
- Tornado that touched down in Oldham County upgraded by National Weather Service
- National Weather Service upgrades tornado in Prospect to an EF2
- EF-1 tornado confirmed in Nelson County, state of emergency declared in Kentucky
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