CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

Residents of Kentucky and West Virginia whose private roads, bridges, or driveways were damaged by the severe storms and flooding in February may qualify for federal assistance to help with repairs or replacement from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

According to information on FEMA’s website, to qualify for FEMA assistance the following eligibility criteria must be met:

• You own the road, bridge or driveway in need of repair or replacement.
• A FEMA inspection determines that repairs are necessary for a vehicle to be able to access your property.
• You are responsible, or share responsibility with other homeowners, for maintaining the privately owned access route to your primary residence.
• The affected property served as your primary residence at the time of the disaster.
• In addition, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:
• The road, driveway or bridge is the only access to the property.
• No one can access the home due to damaged infrastructure.
• The safety of the occupants could be adversely affected because emergency services vehicles cannot reach the residence without the repair/replacement. (This will only be considered if access was available before the disaster.)
• If multiple households share a privately owned access route, each household should apply separately for FEMA assistance to be considered for all forms of aid. Assistance for the route will be shared among applicants, requiring additional coordination and documentation.

Repair awards will not include improvements to the access route’s pre-disaster condition unless improvements are required by current government building codes or ordinances.

How to apply for FEMA assistance

Homeowners and renters who have not applied for FEMA assistance yet can still apply in several ways:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. (To find a center close to you, visit fema.gov/DRC.)
• Use the FEMA mobile app.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. (It is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.)

The deadline to apply for assistance in Kentucky is April 25, while West Virginia residents have until April 28.

For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw.

SBA Disaster Loans

Homeowners who share private access roads and bridges with other homeowners may also be eligible for Small Business Administration disaster loans. Agricultural property is not eligible, but a private access road to the farmer’s residence, the residence itself and personal contents may be eligible under disaster home loan criteria. Please contact your Farm Service Agency (USDA Service Center Locator). For more information, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

For more information about disaster assistance in Kentucky, visit fema.gov/disaster/4860. For information about West Virginia disaster assistance, go to fema.gov/disaster/4861.