FAIRMONT, W.Va. — With a federal disaster declaration now in place, officials in the city of Fairmont are providing space for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff to assist residents impacted by the flash flooding over Father’s Day weekend.
Speaking on WAJR’s Talk of the Town, Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser said that while residents await further assistance, local leaders are doing what they can to help bridge the gap.
” The city works very aggressively to make sure we have those rainy day funds to be able to take care of those issues,” Blosser said. “It’s our citizens that are our top priority and concern right now, and our businesses to get them all back to where they were before that event.”
He encouraged residents to visit the FEMA assistance website as soon as possible to begin the relief application process. Applicants should provide as much detail as they can, including photographs, receipts, and any other documentation to support their claim. For those using mobile devices, Blosser recommended downloading the FEMA mobile app to streamline the process.
“I really encourage them to download the FEMA Disaster Assistance app,” Blosser said. ” Use that because it’s going to be a lot more user-friendly with them trying to get that taken care of rather than trying to do it on your phone through the website.”
Residents are encouraged to apply for all available forms of assistance. Those in the disaster area can seek relief funding through both FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“There are the FEMA assistance dollars, and there is also the Small Business Administration,” Blosser said. “The Small Business Administration is not just for businesses—when you apply, apply for both programs.”
When FEMA staff arrive in Fairmont, they will be based at the Public Safety Building. Plans also include establishing ‘pop-up’ assistance centers at major events—such as the Annual Tomato Festival—as well as other key locations throughout the city.
“We were working and having consultations with them about that location, but also locations that will be “pop-up” locations throughout the city,” Blosser said.
In the coming weeks, the Public Safety Building will open to assist residents and provide information. In addition, “pop-up” locations will be set up in neighborhoods that were especially hard hit. City Manager Travis Blosser said residents will likely learn about these sites as they open through social media or local radio announcements.
“If people just hang tight for us, in the next week or so those assistance areas will be live, and there will be “pop-up” opportunities,” Blosser said. ” If people can’t make it to the Public Safety Building we’re trying to make sure the “pop-up” locations are in areas where we know there is a bigger need for assistance.”