LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) future is uncertain, as the Trump administration suggests eliminating the agency. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., said FEMA’s existence is essential.
In a Team Kentucky Briefing on Thursday, March 27, Beshear said FEMA worked with Pike County Emergency Management officials to host an outreach day during the weekend of March 22 and March 23. He said the team reached isolated storm survivors, helping them register for assistance and providing home inspections for inaccessible properties.
“Having had FEMA multiple times in our state, this is the best that they’ve ever done. There are fewer complaints. More people are getting approved. I continue to believe in the need for FEMA to continue to exist. I’ll always push for it to do a better job,” Beshear said.
The governor said if we didn’t have FEMA, all 50 states would have to do the work that one group does now.
“We would have to bear all the costs of that, meaning less money would get to our people,” Beshear said.
Lexington Emergency Management serves people in Fayette County. Some of the work they do includes preparing residents for hazards and severe weather. The agency's Public Information Officer Emily Fay said the work they do in tandem with FEMA is life-saving.
“We receive funding through FEMA, the Emergency Management Performance grant, of course it does go through Kentucky Emergency Management agency, Kentucky Emergency Management first, then it comes to us. But it trickles down. We get help from other grants, hazard mitigation grants that help us be prepared and more resilient,” said Fay.
FEMA works with city emergency management teams across the commonwealth through Kentucky Emergency Management, in Frankfort.
“We need all the help we can get when helping residents of Lexington, whether that be from FEMA, the state. It’s all like a waterfall if you think about it. They give us help and we can help people with us. But without that general funding, it does make it a lot more difficult to do our jobs,” said Fay.
Gov. Beshear defended the need for the agency.
“I am always for hearing the concerns and addressing them of any group in the federal government, but dissolving this group will make us less safe, less resilient, and less able to respond to natural disasters,” Beshear said. “After having 13 federally declared disasters since I’ve been governor, I think I’m somewhat of an expert on this and let me say we need FEMA. We need them to be better, but we absolutely need them.”
Beshear said Kentucky State Parks were sheltering 181 people at three state parks, occupying 76 rooms. He said there are 77 people in the travel trailer program at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park.
