West Virginians Receive $3 Million in Flood Disaster Aid from Washington

More than $3 million has been approved in federal disaster grants and loans for West Virginians affected by the March severe storms and flooding.

Since President Obama declared a major disaster on March 29, officials from the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (WVDHSEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been working to help affected residents get back on their feet. FEMA and WVDHSEM have opened Disaster Recovery Centers in affected areas to give West Virginians places to go for in-person information about assistance.

In three weeks since the declaration, financial assistance approved for affected residents includes:

• $2.52 million in Housing Assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program for temporary housing and home repairs.
• $136,300 in Other Needs Assistance, a joint state-federal program that helps applicants replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.
• $345,700 in U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans. These loans are available to homeowners and renters and businesses of all sizes.

FEMA has reached out to individuals in affected counties to make sure assistance gets to those in need. 
To date:

• 1,300 people have registered with FEMA for state and federal disaster assistance.
• 1,000 homes have been inspected by FEMA.
• 440 people have visited Disaster Recovery Centers in Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Raleigh counties.
• 300 people have talked with FEMA mitigation specialists staffing a display at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Beckley. This community outreach effort provides people with information on how to clean up and rebuild safer after a flood.

Under the disaster declaration, all 55 counties in West Virginia are eligible to apply for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps state and local governments with projects to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.