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

WASHINGTON –The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an incremental award of $8.3 million to the commonwealth of Kentucky to support continued disaster-relief jobs, and employment and training services in response to tornadoes in December 2021 and severe flooding in July 2022.

Before today’s announcement, the department awarded a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $25 million in December 2021 – with an initial award of $8.3 million. The department followed this with an additional increment of $8,333,334 awarded in July 2023 to continue the project’s work. With today’s funding, the department has awarded the full approved amount of funds. 

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

Another wave of storms ravaged the commonwealth throughout July and August 2022, causing catastrophic flooding and damage to businesses, homes, roads and vehicles in eastern Kentucky and displacing thousands of residents and employers. In July 2022 FEMA issued another major disaster declaration, with 12 amendments issued through December 2022. These declarations enabled the commonwealth  to expand the scope of the recovery efforts under this grant from 16 to 31 counties in 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.