By Brenna Angel
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- – Nearly 60 days after Kentucky was declared a major disaster area due to severe storms and flooding, FEMA is wrapping up its mission in the Commonwealth. The agency used a building on UK's Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington as its coordinating center.
"We had close to a thousand members of FEMA disaster assistance employees in the Commonwealth in jobs as community relations where they actually go door-to-door and find the individuals that have been affected by the flood. We now are reducing that down as we've covered all the areas."
FEMA spokesman Michael Skeels says some federal employees will stay in Kentucky for an extended period of time to work with local governments affected by the storm.
Meanwhile, the deadline for storm victims to register for possible grants and loans is fast approaching. Residents who suffered damage must sign up with FEMA by July 12.
"The registration period will close at 8 pm Eastern Daylight Time that day. So we'd like everyone in Kentucky who thinks they had a loss and they're in a declared county to please give us a call because we can't help you unless you're registered."
The phone number to register is 1-800-621-FEMA. Storm victims can also sign up online at disasterassistance.gov. More than $18 million in federal grants has been distributed to Kentuckians stemming from the May flooding.