By JAMES BROWN
Glasgow News 1
Barren County is one of 18 counties in Kentucky that has been approved for public assistance due to costs incurred during a January winter storm.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved public assistance for counties affected by the winter storm, according to a press release. “The severe weather event caused significant ice accumulation across the state, up to 9 inches of snow in some areas and dangerously cold temperatures.”
Barren County Emergency Management Director Garland Gilliam said when the county will get money is to be decided, but that the process for filing has been set in motion. He said there will be a meeting between Kentucky Emergency Management and the federal agency, then there will be a better idea of the timetable for reimbursement for money spent during the disaster.
President Donald Trump had to sign off on the disaster declaration, and once that happened, the process for disaster relief could begin.
Gilliam said the damages threshold for Barren County was approximately $210,000. He pointed out that Farmers RECC turned in $526,000 in damages alone due to a lengthy power loss caused by the winter storm. Tri-County Electric, which serves a southern area of Barren County, and the Glasgow Electric Plant Board, also suffered monetary damages due to power outages.
There were also costs incurred by agencies within the county related to tree removal, road repairs, road salt depletion, and more that were outside the normal yearly budgeted expenses. Gilliam said he wasn’t certain which of those costs could be reimbursed by disaster declaration. That will be determined once all of the review process has been completed.
A public assistance designation is a formal presidential declaration under the Stafford Act that provides federal cost-sharing grants to state, tribal, local governments, and eligible non-profits. This is different from an individual assistance designation, which is when individuals in the affected area can apply for federal grants and direct services.
Other counties in South central Kentucky that have been designated for the assistance are Allen, Clinton, Cumberland, Metcalfe, and Monroe.
Key Facts
– Barren County is one of 18 Kentucky counties approved for federal public assistance after a January winter storm
– Gov. Andy Beshear says FEMA granted the disaster declaration following severe ice, snow and cold
– President Donald Trump signed off on the public assistance designation under the Stafford Act
– Barren County’s damage threshold was about $210,000, but Farmers RECC alone reported $526,000 in losses
– Other utilities and county agencies also reported storm-related costs for outages, tree removal and road work
– Officials say the filing process has begun, but the reimbursement timeline is still unclear
– The declaration covers public assistance, not direct individual aid to residents
