5 days ago
Medical, dental, funeral assistance for May tornadoes in KY
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Officials say if anyone sustained injury, illness or death of a loved one due to the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes from May 16 through 17 in Kentucky, they may be eligible for medical, dental or funeral assistance from FEMA.
According to FEMA, medical and dental assistance can help cover uninsured expenses for medical care related to disaster-caused injury or illness. This funding can also be used to help replace medical and dental equipment, breastfeeding equipment or prescribed medicine damaged or lost due to the severe storms and tornadoes.
Nighttime lane closures planned on KY 54 in Owensboro
Funeral or burial expenses
FEMA says if anyone has had funeral or burial expenses because of the severe storms and tornadoes during May 16 through 17, funeral assistance may be available from FEMA. FEMA's Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program provides assistance with certain eligible disaster-caused funeral expenses.
Officials say eligible expenses may include cost of transfer of remains, casket or urn, funeral services, death certificates, burial plot, cremation, interment, cost of reinterment if disinterment is caused by the disaster or occurs in a family cemetery on private property.
To verify eligibility, FEMA will need:
An official state-issued death certificate or a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or other certifier stating that the death was directly or indirectly related to the disaster.
Evidence of an unmet funeral expense – a receipt or verifiable estimates for funeral expenses that indicate the applicant incurred, or will incur, eligible interment, reinterment or funeral expenses.
Confirmation that funeral expenses have not been paid using other resources.
By law, FEMA cannot provide people a grant when any other source – Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits – has covered expenses for the same disaster-related need.
Here's a look at events from May 29 through June 1, 2025
How to request medical, dental or funeral assistance
FEMA says to request medical, dental or funeral assistance, people must first apply with FEMA. Survivors in Union County who have disaster-caused damage or loss from the May tornadoes can apply for federal disaster assistance under the major disaster declaration DR-4875 in several ways.
Those ways are:
Online
Visiting any Disaster Recovery Center. Find the closest one here, or text DRC a zip code to 43362.
Use the FEMA mobile app.
Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. It is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time.
If anyone uses a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.
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