Pike County officials: FEMA funding uncertain for low‑water bridge damaged in 2025 flood

Pike County Judge Jones and county road officials told residents at the Oct. 6, 2025, Fiscal Court meeting that a low‑water bridge at Pond/Old Palm Creek will remain on the county’s list of damaged structures but that the county cannot rebuild it without FEMA or other outside funding.

Resident Kate Coleman, who identified herself as speaking for neighbors, said she obtained inspection records and told the court that she had been told “the county is not going to fix that bridge” and that the bridge was removed from a FEMA list after contact with a congressional office. Coleman told the court she had spoken with federal inspectors in the field and said, “FEMA came and inspected the bridge.”

County road supervisor Fabian and Judge Jones described inspection findings and the county’s limits. Fabian gave a conservative estimate of $3,000,000 to rebuild the low‑water bridge and said “there’s approximately 26 residents that are affected by this bridge if it was taken out of the system.” Fabian said the structure has box‑beam cracks and corrosion on embedded steel that, according to the county’s reports, cannot be rehabilitated and would require replacement.

Judge Jones told residents that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) issued a closure notice and that KYTC and FEMA have inspected the site. He said FEMA has been “scrutinizing these projects” and that preexisting deterioration reduces the chances FEMA will fund full replacement. Jones summarized the funding split the court expects to apply if FEMA approves a project: “FEMA covers 75% of it. The state will cover 12%. The county's on the hook for 13%.”

The court and county staff repeatedly told the public that Pike County has not yet received any FEMA reimbursement tied to the February 2025 flood and that the county has already used general‑fund money to pay emergency bridge work. Judge Jones said two emergency bridge projects cost about $2,400,000 and were paid from the general fund because FEMA funds had not arrived. He placed the Pond/Old Palm Creek low‑water bridge behind more urgent projects for communities that currently have no bridge access.

Officials stressed process limits. Judge Jones said: “There’s no decision for the fiscal court to make unless FEMA says we’re gonna give you the money.” Fabian confirmed FEMA inspected the bridge on 07/17 and said KYTC issued a 30‑day closure requirement that the county must comply with or risk state funding sanctions.

County staff offered to examine and, where allowed, improve road approaches and parking to the newer state bridge that serves the same area and to accept a resident’s request to provide the inspection records and the county’s PowerPoint to the public. The court did not vote on rebuilding or funding the low‑water bridge at the meeting.

The exchange included debate over whether reopening the low‑water bridge is necessary when a newer, higher‑capacity bridge sits nearby; residents argued the old crossing remains a needed alternate route for some homes and school routes during certain outages.

The court repeatedly noted the scale of county infrastructure damage from the flood and the county’s limited local revenue. Judge Jones said the county is tracking roughly 3,000 damaged sites from the February 2025 flood and estimated total infrastructure damage in the county at about $50,000,000, and he warned the county cannot absorb major bridge replacements without outside funds.

The court encouraged residents to file work orders for specific local repairs and said staff would forward inspection reports and the PowerPoint presented at the meeting to the public record.