CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Victims of the August flooding in three West Virginia counties can only wait for the White House. Governor Patrick Morrisey has formally requested a disaster declaration for Fayette, Harrison, and Kanawha Counties as a result of the floods of August 14th and 18th.
There’s no timeline on the declaration. Some come quickly, others take time. In those three counties, 624 homes had some kind of impact from the high water. 22 were destroyed, 60 sustained major damage, 261 had minor damage, and 281 others were affected in some way. The state projects will take $4.5 Million in individual assistance according to the assessments made by the state.
Kanawha County had the most homes destroyed at 17, but the county’s Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said that didn’t mean the houses were gone.
“If the flood water has been up above the electrical outlets, that house has severe damage and may be a total loss. Mobile homes if it’s up in the flooring it may be a total loss, not necessarily washed away or laying on the ground,” he explained.
Sigman said most people who were impacted have already filled out disaster surveys, so the county has their information for contact. When and if the declaration is made, the county and FEMA will work together to open a disaster service center in the areas of greatest impact.
“They’ll set up disaster recovery centers. Folks can go to those centers and those running the center will sit down with them and go through all the paperwork and all the things available to them and what we can do to help,” Sigman said.
Until then, it’s a matter of waiting. Most have either cleaned up their property or are in the process of cleaning up and making repairs. It’s important to save all receipts to be reimbursed as much as possible when and if the declaration comes.
Sigman said the determination is largely dependent on the monetary loss more than the level of damage which can be seen.
“Shows how much monetary loss and what they’re going to have to have to get people back on their feet,” he said.