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Woodford County launches USDA buyout program as FEMA damage documentation continues
Summary
County emergency management says a USDA voluntary buyout program is now live for flood-affected properties, with an initial wave of 37 properties; title searches, environmental assessments and FEMA damage documentation remain ongoing.
Woodford County officials told the fiscal court they have launched a USDA voluntary buyout program intended to remove repeatedly flooded properties from the floodplain. Director Drew Chandler said the county’s application includes a first wave of 37 properties and that property owners can begin the process by submitting a voluntary letter of interest available on the county website.
The announcement came during a presentation to the fiscal court by Drew Chandler, who described a structured process that begins with property owners filing a letter of interest and moves to title searches and environmental assessments. “There’s an information page on the county government website,” Chandler said, adding that the USDA program will process transactions through a consistent timeline and that some properties included in the earlier mitigation discussions are eligible under the USDA buyout option.
Chandler told the court the USDA may advance purchase funds for acquisitions so the county does not have to float costs while awaiting reimbursement. He cautioned that the buyout option is voluntary and that past efforts sometimes yielded fewer completed acquisitions than initially anticipated: “In our history with the buyout program … we set off to buy six properties and wound up with two,” he said.
County officials also reported they met a FEMA deadline to document damages for recovery scoping. Chandler said the county submitted a substantial set of documentation but that some final dollar amounts remain unknown because work is still ongoing. The county is obtaining quotes for required environmental assessments and expressed a preference for hiring local contractors who meet USDA requirements.
Why it matters: The buyout program is one of the largest policies in the county’s flood-recovery effort and, if fully executed, would reduce future flood risk and liabilities by removing vulnerable properties from recurring hazard areas. County staff said they will make materials and next steps available on the county website and continue outreach to property owners who have expressed interest.
What’s next: County staff will collect voluntary letters of interest, begin title searches and environmental assessments for properties that proceed, and continue coordination with USDA and FEMA. Residents with questions were directed to the county website and to county staff for additional information.
