By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The number of counties eligible for some type of disaster assistance due to massive flooding earlier this month has grown to cover more than half of the state.

The floods created widespread damage to homeowners and farmers alike. In fact, the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KyEM) estimates there is more than $30 million in damage to public and private property.

On May 17, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) extended the list of those counties included in the major disaster declaration and eligible for individual assistance to include Adair, Bath, Boyd, Carter, Franklin, Greenup, Madison, Marion, and Mercer Counties.

Casey, Lincoln, Rowan, and Woodford Counties had already been designated for individual assistance according to FEMA. Those surrounding counties will also be eligible for some type of assistance.

“Currently, farmers in 70 Kentucky counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance, including low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provided eligibility requirements are met,” said Robert Finch, director of farm programs with the Kentucky FSA office. “This reflects declarations and subsequent amendments issued under FEMA 1909 for Tennessee and FEMA M1912 for Kentucky. The counties were either designated as a primary county or contiguous to a primary county.”
There has also been three Disaster Recovery Centers opened to help those with disaster claims. The centers are located in Woodford, Lincoln and Rowan counties.

According to information from FEMA, more than $2.1 million has been approved to help storm-weary Kentuckians recover from the May 1 and continuing severe storms, floods, mudslides and tornadoes.

“The dollar amount of recovery assistance in the Commonwealth will continue to rise as more applications for individual assistance, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, and Public Assistance are processed,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Doug Mayne.
Additionally, FEMA reported that at “the close of business Sunday, May 16, approved assistance included more than $1.8 million in housing assistance (e.g. rental assistance, home repair assistance) and more than $320,000 in other needs (e.g. personal property loss, medical costs, and other serious disaster –related expenses not covered by insurance.)”

John Heltzel, director of KyEM said, “This is good news, and is providing much needed help. This has been, and continues to be a team effort, and we certainly appreciate everyone’s hard work.”

Agriculture damage

Just how damaged crops in Kentucky are at this point remains to be see as farmers get back into their fields, but the corn crop looks to have been hit the hardest.

A warm early spring gave producers the opportunity to get a head start on planting. At the time of the flooding, 83 percent of the state’s crop had been planted according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Kentucky Field Office.

Jim Herbek, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture grain crops Extension specialist said a good estimate is still pending, but it will vary between counties. “We probably, overall had between 10 and 20 percent of that corn acreage flooded,” he said. “Some looks okay because the water went off of it in a day or two, but some areas the soil was saturated for (several) days and that’s the worst scenario.”

Herbek added that certain areas may have as much as 30 percent or a little more of the corn that will have to be replanted, and at this late date, that could cost yields later in the year.

“Generally, according to corn planting research we have done in the past, after May 5-10, particularly in west Kentucky, we’re going to have about one to two percent loss per day for every day corn is planted after that time, and the later you go into June, if it doesn’t happen until then, it’s going to be a lot more,” he said.

That could equate to as much as a 20 percent loss in yields for that replanted corn. Herbek pointed out that those estimates are merely that, noting late corn planted last year produced a bumper crop because of the ample rainfall experienced in normally the driest period of the summer.

Farmers may opt to plant soybeans instead of replanting corn depending on the kinds of herbicides they had applied to their corn. Herbek recommends that if a producer is inclined to do that, he or she should have their soil tested first.

More information is available at www.fema.gov and www.kyem.ky.gov/currentdisasters The locations of the Disaster Recovery Centers are as follows: Woodford County at Fire Station No. 3, 1415 Huntertown Road, Versailles, KY 40383; Lincoln County at the South Lincoln Community Center, 11650 Kentucky Hwy 1247, Waynesburg, KY 40489; Rowan County at the Rowan County Rescue Squad building, 1350 Divide Hill Rd. Morehead, KY 40351.