The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville and Nashville Districts, with cooperating federal and state agencies, participated in a Resources and Permitting workshop in Hazard, Kentucky, April 23, 2025. The workshop was a continuation of conversations with local government officials in Eastern Kentucky to discuss ways to recover from flood-related disasters and how to prevent future flooding. USACE Louisville and Nashville Districts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) discussed what federal programs are available to help with debris removal and channel restoration, and the USACE Regulatory Division and Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) discussed permitting requirements and applicability of Section 404 Clean Water Act exemptions.
“We wanted the people there to understand what resources are available to help them to mitigate flood risks and to better understand the permitting processes,” said Brandon Brummett,
Louisville District outreach coordinator. “We also wanted to de-mystify the permitting process and do some myth busting about some common things that will help local community members in the future. It was also an opportunity just to put some faces to the names so that they would know who to contact when they have issues.”
Eastern Kentucky experienced severe flooding after storm events in 2022 and again earlier this year on Valentine’s Day weekend. As flood waters recede, residents must contend with debris jams, sediment deposition and eroding streambanks.
The State of Kentucky received a Major Disaster Declaration Feb. 24, 2025, authorizing individual and public assistance for 24 counties in Eastern Kentucky. The Louisville District deployed personnel to assist the state and FEMA with conducting initial debris assessments in the affected counties.