Our work in Tornado Relief Assistance

On December 11th, 2021, a series of tornadoes cut an unprecedented line of destruction across western and southern Kentucky. Seventy-four people were confirmed dead; more than a thousand properties have been destroyed; and numerous communities have been impacted or completely leveled. People in eighteen, mostly rural, counties have been impacted by storms and tornadoes. This storm system was one of the most powerful and deadly tornadoes in Kentucky’s history.

In the wake of this disaster, KFTC reached out to several community organizations that were leading relief efforts and invited them to refer clients to us that might need additional assistance. We received referrals from the American Red Cross, the Jonesville Academy, and Rise and Shine. We had conversations with impacted individuals who were referred to us and gathered basic information, and then invited them to share the story of how the disaster impacted them.

We began the conversations by acknowledging that everyone impacted is deserving of help, regardless of the level of impact they’ve faced. Beginning from this level ground of deserving assistance helped break through the “survivors guilt” that sometimes creates barriers for folks when seeking assistance. There’s been a wide variety of situations and diverse needs. Some families we helped needed to replace food spoiled during long term power outages. Some families are still in motels, struggling to find affordable housing now that much of the affordable housing market is gone. Some families are in need of transportation but are struggling to find affordable used cars in stock. on the aid they would receive. While most everyone agreed that the climate is changing and the increased likelihood of future disasters is a frightening reality, there were a range of perspectives on the causes of climate change and our ability to take effective action on the issue.

The stories of BIPOC and low income Kentuckians are often left out of the narratives we see in the media about the disaster, so as we talked with folks we also asked if we could follow up and offer other

ways to lift up their stories. We’re excited to lift up a blog piece from one impacted resident that addresses the complexities of long-term recovery that will be published on the Union of Concerned Scientists blog. Lifting up these stories is an important way to bring attention to the need for change and the complex ways families experience disaster recovery in a community

In total from all funding sources, we will have given roughly $1,000 to each individual served. We’ve been able to push nearly $23k directly into relief efforts, as well as provide much needed cash assistance to just over 20 families, and also passed some funds on to very local groups providing aid as well.

In the midst of a disaster like this, it can be challenging for a community organizing group to find the right balance between direct support and mutual aid to address immediate needs, and the longer term organizing work to build sustained power and change the systems that create and/ or exacerbate disaster. We focused on the mutual aid side in the weeks/months following the tornado, helping push dollars out to directly impacted folks. Now we turn back to the longer term organizing, helping community members tell their stories and push for the change we need to avoid or minimize these disasters in the future. At this point, we are doubling down on our organizing efforts, helping local folks assess the root causes that are part of why the tornado happened as well as how they relate to the lack of affordable housing and more. We’re working with members and allies to push local governments, and the state, to lean into and facilitate mid and long term recovery efforts, work to replenish affordable housing, create future disaster mitigation plans, and find stable ways for folks to pay bills while small businesses and factories rebuild.

The path to recovery and rebuilding a thriving Southern and Western Kentucky is a long one, but this moment has reminded us of the incredible resilience of Kentuckians as our communities show up to support each other. We choose each other in big ways and small, in crisis and in recovery, every day.