‘I just want a home to go back to’: Months after a historic flood, relief remains elusive for some in Kentucky
Months after a historic flash flood swept through eastern Kentucky, some survivors say they are still struggling to get the federal assistance necessary to begin the painstaking process of rebuilding their homes and piecing their lives back together.
Months after a historic flash flood swept through eastern Kentucky, wiping away neighborhoods and leaving dozens dead, some survivors say they are still struggling to get the federal assistance necessary to begin the painstaking process of rebuilding their homes and piecing their lives back together.
Amanda Kilburn is staying with friends as she waits for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to approve her application. Donavon Conn and his family, who have received two denials, are in a camper while FEMA’s appeals process runs its course. Meanwhile, Kendra Tolliver and Betty Sloane said the disaster relief they received is hardly enough to rebuild the homes they lost.
While FEMA said it has approved most of the applications it has received for assistance, that is little consolation for these survivors who say they are losing hope and running out of time.
“We’re down to the last little bit that we got and it’s not looking good. I don’t know what to do,” Conn, 31, told NBC News. “I’m lost in the dark, and I just need help.”
Navigating FEMA's application process while dealing with the stress of losing everything in the July flood has been almost impossible for Conn. The family's home in Shelby Gap, their vehicles and a trailer were swept into “a big pile in a tree," he said.
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