CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., requested Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allow an extension of a grace period to its no-cost flood insurance.
Many landowners received assistance from FEMA after the June 2016 flood in the form of three-year group flood insurance policies. The first plans are set to expire in September.
“The natural disaster that inundated these communities has been compounded by the bureaucratic disaster that has prevented the $106 million Congress appropriated for mitigation and resilience activities over a year ago from reaching the people on the ground who need it most,” Manchin wrote to FEMA Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor.
“This funding will support strategic infrastructure investments that will improve water management and reduce our exposure to future flood risks, both of which could significantly reduce premiums for the families and businesses that have National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies in the impacted area.”
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said this week West Virginia should receive the disaster relief funding by the start of May.