ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — FEMA is visiting cities across the Commonwealth to help Kentuckians rebuild after December’s devastating tornadoes. The agency is working to help them make their homes stronger for future disasters.

What You Need To Know

  • FEMA is visiting cities across the Commonwealth to help Kentuckians rebuild after December’s devastating tornadoes

  • The agency is working to help them make their homes stronger for future disasters with projects big and small

  • FEMA specialists are currently at the Home Depot stores in Elizabethtown and Bowling Green and at the Walmart store in Benton

  • Specialists will be in Elizabethtown, Bowling Green and Benton until March 15

FEMA specialists are currently at the Home Depot stores in Elizabethtown and Bowling Green and at the Walmart store in Benton.

In Elizabethtown, FEMA Community Education and Outreach Specialist John Ortiz is the first person shoppers come across when walking into the store. He stands at a table filled with free information about what to do and where to go the next time a tornado hits.

As he shares advice with anyone who stops at his table, he hands them free books that range in topics from building a tornado safe room to reinforcing houses and mobile homes to make them stronger.

“Techniques that can make your home stronger and can be a better build to withstand a disaster,” Ortiz said.

Those who visit Ortiz at the FEMA table can access information about bigger projects that may require a contractor as well as smaller, do-it-yourself upgrades.

“How you can do the roofing, how you can install connectors and brackets,” Ortiz said, listing a few of the simpler DIY fixes.

Ortiz is based in Washington D.C., but he travels the country to help people prepare for and recover from similar disasters. Before his stop in Elizabethtown, he was helping people in Bowling Green.

“I’ve seen floods. I’ve seen what hurricanes can do. I’ve seen what earthquakes can do,” Ortiz said.

However, he says the tornado destruction he’s seen in Kentucky is some of the worst damage he’s witnessed since he started working for FEMA in 2017.

“In my experience, it’s been very gratifying,” Ortiz said of his time so far helping tornado victims in Kentucky.

Ortiz and other specialists will be in Elizabethtown, Bowling Green and Benton until March 15. They’re available weekdays except for Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If anyone needing help isn’t able to visit in person, FEMA says all of the free resources offered can also be found on its website, FEMA.gov.

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