Catastrophic floods have hit eastern Kentucky, uprooting hundreds of families from their homes and taking the lives of at least 30 people, including four children. Dozens have been reported missing.
“This is one of the most devastating and deadly floods we have seen in our history,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”
Between the flooding, power outages, and expected heat in the upcoming week, many people are still at risk even after finding stable shelter, the governor said.
The National Weather Service urges those affected to stay informed by monitoring local news outlets, to avoid flooding waters, and to follow local government evacuation orders before it is too late. The death toll is expected to rise over the next few weeks.
If you’d like to donate to the victims, below are some organizations helping Kentuckians affected by the perilous flooding.
Where to donate
Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund
Beshear’s administration created the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund to assist impacted residents. The goal of the fund is to provide water and cleaning supplies to Kentuckians. Beshear emphasizes that water systems will be shut down, leaving affected families without a water source for the foreseeable future. Donations can be made online or by mail.
GoFundMe: Kentucky Flood Relief
GoFundMe launched a centralized hub of fundraisers created to help the individuals and families affected by the Kentucky floods. The hub features clean up relief funds, as well as individual families seeking support. GoFundMe’s Trust and Safety team researched and verified all of the fundraisers listed on the hub. You can read the stories of individuals and families and donate online.
Save the Children
Donations to Save the Children will go towards delivering essential items to Kentucky kids, families, and communities like clean drinking water, hygiene kits, diapers, wipes, cribs, and cleaning supplies. Donations can be made online through their website.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is already on the ground supporting local communities and plans to escalate its response as soon as the water recedes. 100% of donations go to help the relief efforts and can be made online or by calling 1-800-725-2769.
Where to get help if you are impacted
If you live in Kentucky and are affected by the flooding, there are a few organizations you can reach out to for assistance.
FEMA
Federal grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low cost loans for uninsured property losses, and other programs for home and business owners are available. Residents can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
The non-profit organization will supply Goodwill stores in Hazard and Prestonburg, Ky., vouchers worth $50 for flood victims. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Updates will be available on their Facebook Page.
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