US Department of Labor awards $8.3M in funding to Kentucky to support tornado clean up, recovery after recent devastation

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $8,333,333 in funding to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to support disaster-relief employment after a series of deadly tornadoes on Dec. 10 caused extensive damage.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the funds are the first increment of a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to of $25 million for the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training to create temporary employment opportunities to assist with clean-up and recovery activities. The funds will support efforts in eight counties, specifically Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Hopkins, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Taylor and Warren.

The National Weather Service reported a potent storm system on Dec. 10, which produced multiple tornadoes across central and southern portions of the U.S. and left widespread damage in several states, including Kentucky. On Dec. 12, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration for the commonwealth, allowing Kentucky to request federal assistance for recovery efforts.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide funding assistance to temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels when large, unexpected economic events cause significant job losses.