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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an incremental award of $8,333,334 to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to support continued disaster-relief employment and employment and training services after tornadoes in December 2021 and severe flooding in July 2022.

Today’s announcement follows the department’s award of a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $25 million in December 2021 – with an initial award of $8.3 million – which allows Kentucky to create temporary employment opportunities and assist with clean-up and recovery activities.

In December 2021, a potent storm system produced multiple tornadoes across central and southern portions of the U.S. and left widespread damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration, allowing Kentucky to request federal assistance for recovery efforts.

Throughout July and August 2022, another wave of severe storms caused catastrophic flooding and damage to businesses, homes, roads and vehicles in Eastern Kentucky, displacing thousands of residents and employers. FEMA issued a major disaster declaration in July 2022, with 12 amendments issued through December 2022. These declarations allowed Kentucky to expand federal assistance for recovery efforts to include 31 counties in western and eastern Kentucky.    

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration – and 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.