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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kentucky’s federal delegation, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Rand Paul, and Representatives Hal Rogers (KY-05), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Andy Barr (KY-06), Thomas Massie (KY-04), and James Comer (KY-01) sent a joint letter to President Donald Trump expressing their support for Governor Andy Beshear’s request for a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Kentucky stemming from severe weather in February. The extended heavy rain produced flooding, mudslides, and landslides, resulting in several deaths and widespread damage across the state.

“Unfortunately, this devastating series of weather events resulted in three fatalities across the Commonwealth, and imposed significant property damage and power outages,” the delegation stated in their letter to the President. “The citizens of Kentucky are in need of federal resources to respond to these events. The current circumstances related to COVID-19 have made a strong local response even more difficult.”

After nearly one month of severe weather in Kentucky, a total of 28 counties reported extensive damage, including Bell, Boyd, Butler, Clay, Fulton, Harlan, Henderson, Hickman, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, McCracken, McCreary, Menifee, Metcalfe, Morgan, Monroe, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Union, and Whitley. The southeastern portion of the state received in excess of 10 inches of rainfall in some areas.

A federal disaster declaration would release funding and resources to aid Kentucky communities hardest-hit by the February storms.