CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Patrick Morrisey has announced an allocation of $3 million to the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters. The money is aimed at helping rebuild bridges in McDowell County which were washed out by flooding last year.
“Today I’m announcing a renewal of our partnership with VOAD. We’re announcing a three million dollar grant from the Governor’s Civil Contingency Fund to West Virginia VOAD. This money is going to be allocated in $1 million tranches and it’s going to help a lot of our partners do great work for the citizens of our state,” Morrisey said in a Monday morning news conference at the capitol.
Morrisey said the announcement was the first of many which will be coming later which spurred by his listening tour across the southern coalfield region last week. Morrisey spent two days traveling to Cabell, Mingo, Wyoming, Mercer and McDowell counties to discuss water issues with local residents and leaders. Morrisey said the tour was to allow him to understand the needs and to come up with solutions to the problems. He called one missing bridge at Gary in McDowell County a clear example of what they were trying to do.
Governor Morrisey Announces $3 Million Grant to West Virginia VOAD
https://t.co/zDK0gwv39J— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) August 10, 2026
“During our tour we heard about the bridges and the challenges. There’s certain things the state can do and there’s certain things the state can’t do. But one thing we can always do is partner with people in the community and solve problems,” he said.
The destroyed bridge in Gary provides vital access to several homes along Sunburst Drive. However, the bridge is not maintained by the state, therefore the state cannot legally rebuild it. Morrisey said it is possible to make allocations to VOAD who can handle bridge construction. They will be able to use the grant money to rebuild the span and help those folks get back into their homes.
“When a bridge goes out, it’s more than just an infrastructure problem. Families can’t get home and they struggle. It takes longer for them to get things done. We need to always step up and help those in our community and that’s why this partnership with VOAD means so much,” he said.
Morrisey said the allocation wouldn’t solve every problem, but it will help solve a few of them and make a big difference for those who have been negatively impacted by a lack of bridge access to their homes.