Rural Response Guide

Ohio River Valley and Mississippi Valley Floods

Heavy rainfall led to extreme flooding throughout the states along the Ohio River Valley and the Mississippi Valley beginning on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Flash flood emergency and tornado warnings were issued through the following Saturday in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. In response to the storms, the governors of Arkansas and Kentucky declared a state of emergency. President Trump approved the governor of Kentucky’s request for an emergency disaster declaration which allowed for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to be made available in Kentucky. The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) offers the following resources with information for communities and organizations dealing with loss and damage from the recent flooding: Rural Resilience in the Face of Disaster site and Disaster Response for Rural Communities Guide.

In response to the flooding, the National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Emergencies in multiple states. The American Red Cross of Utah’s disaster team deployed to the affected states to provide recovery and rescue efforts.

If you or your family have been affected by the recent flooding, or wish to help victims, organizations like The American Red Cross, All Hands and Hearts, and The Salvation Army have resources available. If you are in need of emergency, transient housing, you can text SHELTER and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find where the shelter closest to you is located.

Apply for FEMA Assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline answers questions about the help offered by FEMA, how to apply for assistance, or the information in your account.

Toll-free helpline: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) For hearing impaired callers only: 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) 1-800-621-3362 (Video Relay Service) Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET

American Red Cross Disaster Service: For referrals and updates on Red Cross shelter services in your area, locate a local Red Cross office through: https://www.redcross.org/find-help or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) The Red Cross helps disaster victims by providing safe shelter, hot meals, essential relief supplies, emotional support and health services like first aid. Trained Red Cross workers often meet one-on-one with families to develop individual plans and identify available resources to help aid recovery.