Researchers and experts with Rebuild by Design and New York University compiled what they call an Atlas of Accountability that breaks down the number of federally declared natural disasters by state and county, as well as by how much disaster aid came to those communities from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), between 2011 and 2023.
In terms of the raw number of federally declared disasters, eastern Kentucky counties lead the pack.
Johnson County has been ravaged by flooding and landslides over the past decade and change, including the severe flooding that rocked the region in the summer of 2022. It holds the top spot when it comes to the sheer number of disasters with 15.
Surrounding counties also impacted by similar disasters – including Floyd, Lawrence, Magoffin, Knott, Clay, Lee, Owsley, Perry and Breathitt – are all among the top 15 nationally.
The atlas indicates the most common disasters given relief in Kentucky are in response to flooding, mudslides, tornadoes and severe storms. Straight-line winds and snowstorms are listed as well.
The Associated Press reports most FEMA aid continues to go toward flooding and hurricane relief, although inland counties, like those in Kentucky, see some of the highest counts of federally declared disasters.
Since 2011, the Commonwealth has received around $500 million dollars from FEMA. The largest total in that time among Kentucky counties went to Graves County, which FEMA has given nearly $50 million, much of that in the wake of the December 2021 tornado outbreak.
Those numbers don’t come close to the amount of aid offered to coastal communities. Five counties, three of which were in New York, received more than $1 billion in FEMA aid in the aftermath of hurricanes.
Flooding is the most common disaster in the United States, according to FEMA. Kentucky’s Floyd County ranks second in the number of disasters and has received more than $35 million in FEMA disaster aid during the timeframe examined by the atlas.
According to the National Weather Service, Floyd County now averages more than 50 inches of rain a year.
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