FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) – When Teresa Griffith’s home had several feet of water in it from the floods in February, she knew it was time to consider her family’s options.
“It was very hard to watch everything you potentially own be destroyed by the floodwaters,” Griffith said.
Floyd County officials and Kentucky Emergency Management hosted an informational Q&A about FEMA’s buyout program at the Mountain Arts Center where more than 100 people attended on Tuesday.
“We’re here to learn information about the FEMA buyout,” Griffith said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the residents of Floyd County. We live in a flood zone, and every time it floods, we have to evacuate our homes and just watch the water rise.”
Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams said the FEMA buyout program helps communities by buying flood-prone properties with an appraised value and then relocating residents to safer areas.
Williams said the program is completely voluntary and if homeowners decide not to sell or are not happy with the appraised offer. He says he feel Tuesday’s Q&A helps fill in the gaps about the program the flood victims have.
“We need to get the information to them from point A to point B for these folks so they have a clear understanding of the way the program is going to work and if you wanna participate the requirements are,” Williams said.
Beth Meade says she had damage to her home, so she is interested in learning about the program.
“We were in there 30 minutes just to get clothes and stuff when we came out it was coming around both sides of our house and by the time we got our car it was at our ankles,” Meade said.
Meade, who is also a commissioner, says she will take the information she learned from the meeting back to her hometown of Allen, Kentucky, to help spread the word about the program.
“I do know we will get past this,” Meade said. “I know it will take a little time, but I think that we can get past it even if we do have to take a buyout.”
On Thursday, the county will be hosting a workshop to help with flood victims whose FEMA application was denied from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Floyd County Fiscal Courtroom.
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