Hardin County reports nearly $3 million in flood recovery assistance; FEMA public assistance still under review

The Hardin County Fiscal Court reported progress on local flood recovery efforts, with county leaders saying the county has helped hundreds of residents and distributed nearly $3 million in aid.

Judge Tull told the court that 472 residents had registered for flood recovery assistance and 469 of those registrations were considered valid. The judge said county-administered recovery payments are approaching $3 million in total disbursements to residents who needed help.

Tull said the county’s local flood recovery office will be open only for a limited time; he said, "the last date to actually go and see somebody in Hardin County is this month. I believe it's the 20 fifth," and advised residents to use the written report for more details. He added the county had received an email update from FEMA stating that federal public-assistance funding had not been denied but remained under review; there was no timeline given for a determination.

Why it matters: Local recovery registrations and county payments reflect the scope of damage and immediate help delivered to affected households; FEMA’s pending determination affects whether additional federal funds will be available.

What county staff said: The judge and staff pointed meeting attendees to a written report for more complete information about eligibility and the schedule for in-person assistance; the judge also noted that registrations and payments were already processed for most applicants.

What the court did not decide: The Fiscal Court did not take new funding actions at this meeting tied to FEMA’s pending decision, and no county-requested public-assistance determinations were reported as complete during the session.

Next steps: Residents with flood recovery questions were directed to the written report and the county’s flood recovery office while FEMA’s review is pending.