Governor Andy Beshear made a stop at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Friday morning to hand out the keys to the new travel-trailers that will serve as “medium term housing” for families whose homes were destroyed in the December 10 and 11 tornadoes.
Ten travel-trailers had already made their way to Dawson Springs, and more are heading to Mayfield and other hard-hit areas, with families beginning to move in. This will allow them to slowly start getting back to normal in their own communities, says Governor Beshear, with a focus first on families with school-aged children.
He says more travel-trailers will make their way to families in need over the coming weeks, and they’ll be able to stay in them for up to six months at a time, depending on recertification and need.
The VanMeter family was bestowed the keys, along with several other families, along with gift cards to help supply their temporary homes with food and other necessities—they thanked every one for their generosity, saying they’re just grateful to be alive and together.
The state has purchased 200 camper travel trailers that will be made available to families in the coming weeks. They range in size from 27 to 36 feet long and they can be placed on the property of the impacted families or public land that has been authorized for use. There are roughly 300 individuals still staying in state lodges, with a few hundred more in hotels and motels across the state.
