From left to right, acting FEMA Director Cameron Hamilton, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler speak to reporters after hearing an update on Kentucky floods. (Photo by McKenna Horsley/Kentucky Lantern)
FRANKFORT — Recently installed U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear met Wednesday for a few minutes in Frankfort as Noem visited the state after widespread flooding.
Beshear and Noem were originally slated to be part of a roundtable discussion in front of the press, but due to time constraints, that didn’t happen. They addressed reporters separately Wednesday evening.
Joining Noem were Kelly Loeffler, who was on her sixth day of leading the Small Business Administration, and acting FEMA Director Cameron Hamilton. They received a briefing from state officials on the flooding and recovery efforts so far and toured Eastern Kentucky by helicopter for a couple of hours to survey damage.
The visit comes as some state Republican lawmakers have said they are wary of FEMA’s response after other recent disasters in Kentucky.
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In response to reporters’ questions, Noem said President Donald Trump’s vision for FEMA is to focus on getting relief funds directly to survivors impacted by natural disasters. Trump had floated the idea of disbanding the federal agency while in North Carolina to survey damage from Hurricane Helene last month. He has established a 20-member committee to review the agency and propose ways to overhaul its work.
“You’ve heard him talk about eliminating FEMA, and what he means by that is that the people that are closest to the individuals that were hurt or impacted by a disaster are the ones who know what they need more than people sitting in Washington, D.C.,” Noem said. “So the ability for us to grant dollars to the state or to the local authorities so that they can decide how those monies and those resources get deployed is important.”
Beshear briefly spoke with reporters, saying the roundtable discussion did not happen in front of the press due to another event in his schedule. He did not take questions Wednesday evening, but encouraged Kentucky journalists to join his weekly briefing scheduled for Thursday.
The governor toured Perry and Knott counties earlier Wednesday. He thanked the federal government for its response to the disaster so far.
Trump approved expedited disaster assistance for individuals and local governments in 11 Kentucky counties — Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry and Pike. The president also approved an emergency declaration shortly after the flooding began on Feb. 14.
“There was zero politics played in any of this. They turned it around,” Beshear said. “They did their jobs, and I’m grateful for the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and while I know there’s different discussion that’s out there about the future, I can tell you the present. They did what we needed and are continuing to do what we need.”
While assessments are still underway, Beshear said damage to public infrastructure would likely cost “at least in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Some state Republican lawmakers have expressed frustration with FEMA’s previous responses to disasters in Kentucky, including 2022 floods that struck Eastern Kentucky.
On Tuesday, Republican Senate President Robert Stivers said it was “too early to tell” how the federal agency’s current response has been so far. Stivers said three agencies within the White House have called him to inquire about his observations this time around.
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