Almost $300 million in federal aid is a step closer to reaching Eastern Kentucky to help rebuild from devastating floods, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved Kentucky’s 2022 Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CBDG-DR) action plan, McConnell announced.

The ?plan determines how $297,994,000 in federal long-term recovery funding will be distributed in 20 Eastern Kentucky counties affected by the July 2022 floods, which took more than 40 lives and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, said a release from McConnell’s office.

Counties eligible to receive funding through the CDBG-DR program: Breathitt, Casey, Clay, Cumberland, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Whitley, and Wolfe.

“It’s been nearly two years since flooding of historic proportions ravaged Eastern Kentucky. I saw first-hand where the floods leveled entire communities, destroyed homes, and took the lives of more than 40 Kentuckians. In the aftermath of this tragedy, I made a commitment to stand by the side of Eastern Kentuckians and fight in Washington for big, real-dollar investments in disaster recovery.

“Today, I’m proud to see nearly $300 million in long-term recovery funding move closer toward rebuilding homes and communities, revitalizing the local economy, and supporting survivors who still need our help. I will continue to partner with local leaders in the region and work to ensure these federal dollars are responsibly invested into Eastern Kentucky,” McConnell, Kentucky’s senior senator and the Senate’s minority leader.