FRANKFORT, KY – For many residents, the thought of selling land that has been home for generations can be a heartbreaking concept. As of March 29, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded the Commonwealth more than $22 million to 126 survivors for the acquisition of properties affected by the July 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods. The money awarded to residents will provide them a means to relocate their homes to a safer place.

“This program is about surviving the inevitable,” says KYEM Director, Col. Jeremy Slinker. “We want to encourage our neighbors to move up, not out. This isn’t about leaving home, it is about being here for the next generation of Eastern Kentucky.”

Property acquisition programs help communities purchase flood-prone properties, remove the buildings, and return the land to green space. Seventy-five percent of the acquisition cost is paid by FEMA, and the rest is paid by the Commonwealth or some other source. For a property owner whose house is in a high flood-risk area and suffered substantial damage, having their property purchased and moving out of a flood-prone area may provide the best solution to prevent repetitive flooding damages.

Generational Perry County resident share FEMA buyout story

Typically, these programs take years to implement, but the first contract to acquire a flood-prone property in Kentucky was signed on January 11. The speed at which Kentucky and FEMA were able to put this program in place was due to the Commonwealth’s willingness to work fast and think “outside the box.

 

News Release Kentucky Celebrates Historical Mitigation Efforts to Avoid Future Flood Damage

Learn more at fema.gov/disaster/4663 March 2023 2 Though the sign-up period has closed, project funding continues to be received as the application reviews are completed.

For photos of the first historical approvals, see here: Historical Property Acquisition Awards for Perry County
For the latest information on Kentucky flooding recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4663 and follow FEMA on
Twitter at twitter.com/FEMARegion4. Visit the Governor’s website at governor.ky.gov/disaster-response/flood-
response.