Outgoing Emergency Management Director (EMA) Mike Wilder and newly-appointed EMA Director Brian Caldwell urge any Boyle County resident with property damage from Saturday’s tornadoes to begin collecting data and photographic evidence of individual losses.

Wilder suggests that property owners prepare a log of all damage to personal property.

“Photographs, notes, receipts for emergency repairs are all important to our efforts to determine what we need from FEMA,” said Caldwell.
Caldwell added, “Damage assessment is critical to capturing all we can from FEMA. Once President Biden adds Boyle County to the Major Disaster list, we will approach FEMA and establish protocols for citizens to follow in submitting claims.”

Damage reports can be emailed to EMA Director brian.caldwell@boyleky.com. FEMA Public Assistance and Individual Assistance Program fact sheets, including the eligibility criteria for FEMA, are available on the Boyle County Fiscal Court website, www.boyleky.com.
Individual Assistance Programs

Individuals with tornado damage may be eligible for assistance from FEMA for disaster-related damages not covered by their insurance.

The Individuals and Households Program provides financial assistance and direct services to eligible individuals and households with uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs. The program is intended to meet basic needs and can’t compensate for all losses from a disaster. It is not a substitute for insurance.

The Mass Care and Emergency Assistance program offers sheltering, feeding, emergency supplies, support for people with disabilities or functional needs, reunification services for adults and children, support for household pets and assistance animals, and mass evacuee support.

The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training program provides aid to survivors recovering from adverse reactions to disasters. State, territorial or tribal governments and non-governmental organizations may be eligible for funds for community-based outreach and psycho-educational services.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program provides unemployment benefits and re-employment assistance services to eligible survivors. This program is for those not otherwise eligible for regular state unemployment insurance.

The Disaster Legal Services provides legal aid to survivors affected by a disaster who qualify as low-income.

The Disaster Case Management program can provide recovery plans for survivors’ verified disaster-caused needs that are unmet. The program promotes partnership between disaster case managers and survivors to need those unmet needs.

Disaster survivors can apply for individual assistance online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362.
Public Assistance Program

This program is FEMA’s largest grant program providing funds to assist communities responding to and recovering from emergencies declared by the president. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, federally-recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, and certain private non-profit organizations.

Grants can be used for emergency work like debris removal and emergency protective measures, or permanent work like roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities, or parks, recreational and other facilities.