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FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers open for residents impacted by April flooding and storms

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Governor Andy Beshear on Monday said FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open in eight of the first 13 counties approved for Individual Assistance for April flooding and storms, and the remaining five are expected to open by April 30.

Families in any of the 13 approved counties can visit any DRC for recovery assistance and to apply for federal aid.

In Hardin County, the local Disaster Recovery Center will be located at Kentucky State Police Post Four, located at 954 Cameron Ponder Drive in Elizabethtown. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The location of other centers can be found at fema.gov/drc.

Hardin County Emergency Management says: “FEMA representatives can explain available assistance programs, how to apply to FEMA, and help connect survivors with resources for their recovery needs.” No appointment is needed to visit a center.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the approved counties may begin applying for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov, by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA app. When applying, make sure you are applying for the correct designation (April Flood DR-4864).

The governor said additional counties are expected to be added to the Major Disaster Declaration via amendment after additional assessments are complete.

Officials remind Kentuckians of vaccination opportunities as second measles case reported

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A second confirmed case of measles has state and local health officials reminding Kentuckians of the importance of vaccination.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the second confirmed case of measles in the commonwealth this year occurred in March. The patient was a child who was traveling through Kentucky when they sought treatment. The child is not a resident of the United States, but because they were diagnosed at a health care facility in Kentucky it is counted as a state incident. There are no other cases or risks of exposure associated with this case.

The CHFS says immunization coverage for Kentucky kindergartners has dropped to its lowest in seven years. The national coverage average for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is legally required for school attendance in Kentucky, is 93 percent. Kentucky’s coverage average is 86.9 percent this school year, down from 90 percent last school year. This comes as the United States experiences the largest outbreak of measles since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

The first dose of MMR is routinely administered between ages 12 and 15 months, then a second dose is administered between ages 4 and 6 years. The CDC says two doses of MMR is 97 percent effective against measles.

The Lincoln Trail District Health Department provides measles vaccinations at all of its health centers. Contact the health department or your primary care provider for more information.

No injuries after fire at BlueOval SK; plant operations normal

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A fire at the BlueOval SK Battery Park Sunday sent a plume of black smoke high above the Glendale facility.

According to a statement from BlueOval SK, the fire occurred at around 5 p.m. on April 28 “in an unmanned, exterior building on the southwest side of the Kentucky 1 plant at BlueOval SK Battery Park.” The facility’s emergency procedures were activated and the BOSK emergency response team responded to the fire.

BOSK said in the statement: “Our emergency response team had the incident under control quickly. We are thankful for the Glendale Volunteer Fire Department, who responded as part of normal procedures. No injuries were reported and the event was contained to the exterior building.”

BlueOval SK says the cause of the fire is under investigation, and normal operations at the plant continue.

Major Disaster Declaration issued for Kentucky counties impacted by flooding

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The White House on Friday approved Governor Andy Beshear’s April 11th request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which included individual assistance for Kentuckians in 13 counties including Hardin County.

According to a release from the governor’s office, Hardin County residents and business owners who sustained losses in the flooding may now begin applying for assistance at disasterassistance.gov, by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA app. 

When applying for assistance make sure you upload documents via disasterassistance.gov or the FEMA app. Your damaged home should be your primary residence, you should not have received assistance for the same losses from another source such as insurance, and FEMA should be able to reach you at your provided contact information.

Appeals to FEMA decisions may be made at disasterassistance.gov, by mail or fax, or in person at a disaster recovery center. According to a post on the Hardin County Government Facebook page, the county is working with FEMA on the details for the local center’s opening.

Additional counties will be added to the disaster declaration by amendment following the completion of additional assessments. The governor’s request for public assistance for 33 counties, including Hardin and LaRue, and hazard mitigation for the entire state are still pending.

More information on the disaster declaration is available on the governor’s website.

Unemployment in Lincoln Trail District in March close to numbers seen in February

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Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District were up slightly in March from where they were the year prior. 

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates increased in 112 of the state’s counties in March. The rates were the same in four counties and decreased in four.

The state unemployment average for March was reported at 5.5 percent. That is a slight increase from the average seen in March 2024 when it was reported at 5.1 percent, but it is the same average reported in February. Five counties in the Lincoln Trail District had March unemployment rates higher than the state average, with three counties below the state average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for March was slightly above the state average at 5.8 percent. That’s an increase from the 5.2 percent rate reported in March 2024 but is down slightly from the 5.9 percent rate reported in February.

Grayson County posted the highest unemployment rate in the Lincoln Trail District for March at 7.2 percent, followed by Breckinridge County at 6.5 percent. Washington County had the lowest rate in the district, and tied for the sixth-lowest rate in the state, at 4.8 percent, followed by Nelson County at 5 percent.

Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.