WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in West Virginia soon meeting with state officials and those from counties hit hard in February flooding.
President Donald Trump issued a federal disaster declaration Tuesday. Twenty-one counties will be eligible for public assistance, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Steve Ward told MetroNews Wednesday.
“Initially we look primarily at the Division of Highways. We anticipate some of the local communities and local governments will be applicants and those will obviously contribute to the total dollar value,” Ward said.
FEMA will reimburse what the state, county and local governments have spent in their response to the storms that happened between Feb. 14-20.
It is for work already completed and based on estimates on work that has yet to be completed,” Ward said.
The declaration was not for individual assistance. Damage to homes did not meet the federal threshold.
Most of the storm damage impacted the state’s highway system caused by landslides and mudslides. Ward said FEMA is estimating total damage under public assistance to be between $20 million and $30 million.
FEMA officials will hold briefings in the near future. There will be further inspection of where the damage occurred and worksheets completed for reimbursement. Those will be submitted through the state.
The disaster declaration also includes funding for the Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program, which is the state’s continuing effort working with FEMA to try and reduce flooding hazards, Ward said.
“West Virginia has had a number of declarations and this program provides money to support projects that will make the state more resilient to flooding events,” he said.
The counties under the federal disaster declaration include:
Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Hancock, Harrison, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mason, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Wayne, Wetzel, Wirt, and Wood.