BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Residents in Upshur and Lewis counties affected by severe flooding back in July have started to receive federal relief funds as part of ongoing requests submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Upshur County Commissioner Kristie Tenney said victims of the July 21 flood in the two counties have received a combined $16.5 million to support over 1,700 valid applications by residents between the two counties. Tenney said it includes around $6.9 million for Upshur County residents with average payouts of around $11,000 per household out of 827 valid applicants to account for at least 33 homes that were either destroyed or severely damaged.
“FEMA was able to help about 827 families, and that was about $6.9 million that they were able to contribute to the community,” Tenney said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
According to numbers presented by FEMA, Lewis County residents received approximately $9.69 million for 969 valid registrations, which values at around $14,100 per household. Tenney also noted that the over 100 applicants were assisted through FEMA-approved schedule adjustments that allowed for applications to be accepted for an extra two weeks past the initial deadline. An adjustment that was greatly appreciated by residents that also included 71 rent payouts.
“They gave us a two-week extension, which was wonderful, and we ended up getting another 130 families from that extension,” Tenney said.
Tenney also noted that these numbers are not expected to be finalized as more applicants are expected to be accepted pending an ongoing appeals process. This is expected to take place throughout the rest of the year in the event that flood-related damages are dis
covered heading into the winter. With issues related to molding expected to increase, along with an 18-month timeline to appeal any claims, residents who have applied are still encouraged to follow the process as it moves forward.
“That number, of course, will continue to rise as you can do appeals throughout the process,” Tenney said. “As you’re seeing new things that are popping up in your home that might need addressing, they can appeal up to 18 months on the date of the disaster.”
Tenney also emphasized that collaborative efforts are ongoing to help residents still recovering from damages suffered in Lewis County. This will include the ongoing collection of supplies, including mold sprays that have been donated by the Upshur County area Lowes, as well as returning volunteers who assisted during initial recovery efforts during the summer. With Lewis County expected to see their near 1,000 valid applicants to potentially reach their mark in the coming months, their goal is to each support their neighbors as they work to support over 1,700 residents still working to recover from storm damage from nearly six months ago.
“They were (deeply affected), and there were over 900 families and over $9 million (distributed), it really hit them harder in some of their areas. We are still working hand in hand with Lewis County to see how we can assist each other throughout this process,” Tenney said.