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Flood waters destroyed or damaged over 5,500 homes, businesses

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –State officials say more than 5,500 homes and businesses were impacted by last week’s historic flood.

West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reports after an initial assessment emergency officials estimate that 1,500 homes have been destroyed and another 4,000 have sustained damage.  Approximately 125 businesses have been lost due to the record flooding.

High water pushed this mobile home into a power pole on Amma Road in Roane County.
High water pushed this mobile home into a power pole on Amma Road in Roane County.

The number could grow after the Federal Emergency Management Agency completes a final assessment. Several communities were nearly wiped out by the floods.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said the number of homes, businesses and other structures destroyed is about 800 with 1,100 people left homeless.

“This represents an unprecedented amount of suffering and damage inflicting our fellow citizens,” Carper said.

In Greenbrier County, White Sulphur Springs lost 132 homes and Rainelle had 128 houses destroyed, officials said.

FEMA has been releasing cash payments to flooded out families to help them pay for a temporary place to stay and to meet immediate needs.  As of Thursday, FEMA had approved $5.4 million for applicants to its Individuals and Household Program and $4.3 million for the Housing Assistance program.

Over 4,500 West Virginians have applied to FEMA for disaster relief with hundreds more applications coming in each day.  FEMA now has four field offices operating in Rainelle, White Sulphur Springs, Charleston and Richwood.   Two more are expected to open soon in Summers and Roane counties.

Additionally, the estimates of damage to state’s roads have doubled in recent days to $36 million.  Clay County has the most road damage so far, estimated to be $8.7 million, followed by Nicholas at $6.7 million, then Kanawha at $5.8 million and Greenbrier at $5.1 million.





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