West Virginia seeks expedited disaster declaration as cleanup continues

West Virginia is seeking an expedited presidential major-disaster declaration as recovery from severe storms, flash flooding and landslides shifts from emergency response toward cleanup.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey submitted the request on July 25 after severe weather began affecting the state on July 21. The request seeks Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for Barbour, Doddridge, Harrison, Lewis, Pleasants, Ritchie and Upshur counties, along with statewide hazard-mitigation funding.

The seven counties are not necessarily the final list. The governor‘s office said the request may be amended as damage assessments continue and additional counties may be added.

Damage reports and cleanup work

As of July 25, West Virginia had received more than 950 household damage reports through the state’s damage-assessment system. Officials said local, state and federal teams were still validating damage to homes, businesses, public infrastructure and critical facilities.

Independent reporting by The Associated Press described flooded homes and businesses, washed-out bridges, water rescues, shelters and emergency operations in communities including Buckhannon and Weston.

By July 27, the state said 201 West Virginia National Guard personnel and 67 vehicles were deployed across affected areas. Crews had removed nearly 3,000 tons of debris, while road work, debris removal and other protective measures continued.

Recovery operations were continuing in Lewis, Upshur and Pleasants counties. The state also reported that utility restoration was nearing completion, water service had been restored to customers served by the Mount Hope Water Association in Upshur County, and flood-debris sites in Lewis, Upshur and Barbour counties were accepting material from residents.

What federal approval could mean

The governor’s request is not the same as a presidential declaration. FEMA guidance says an expedited request can be submitted before preliminary damage assessments are complete, but the president must declare that an emergency or major disaster exists before federal assistance can be provided.

A declaration would determine the incident period, eligible areas, types of assistance and federal cost share. Individual Assistance is intended for eligible individuals and households. Public Assistance supports eligible state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations with costs such as debris removal, emergency protective measures and restoration of damaged public facilities.

FEMA also says designated areas and assistance programs can vary, and additional areas may be added after an initial declaration. Residents in the seven counties named by West Virginia should not assume that every household, business or local government will automatically qualify.

What remains unresolved

No presidential major-disaster declaration was confirmed in the sources reviewed for this article. The federal decision, the final county designations and the assistance programs that could become available remain unresolved.

For now, residents affected by the flooding should document property damage, keep records of cleanup and repair costs, follow county and state instructions, and monitor official updates as assessments continue. Road, debris, utility and water-service work also remains active in several of the hardest-hit counties.

Sources

• West Virginia governor's July 25 disaster-declaration request
• FEMA disaster-declaration and assistance guidance
• Associated Press West Virginia flooding report