West Virginia Will Get $87M More for Flood Recovery

Congress has approved $87 million more in federal funds to help West Virginia recover from deadly flooding over the summer, according to state lawmakers.

The funding is from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program. It follows $17 million from the same program announced in October by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, along with U.S. Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins.

Flooding in late June killed 23 people statewide and devastated homes, businesses, schools and infrastructure.

The latest funding was included in the resolution recently passed by Congress to continue federal programs. The next step is for the state to come up with plans for spending it on housing, infrastructure, economic development and other recovery measures not covered by other federal programs.

Capito called it “an early Christmas gift for countless families and businesses in southern West Virginia who are continuing to recover from this summer’s devastating flooding.”

In another program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said earlier this month that it was shifting its focus in West Virginia to long-term flood recovery and schools after having approved more than $41.5 million in grants to nearly 4,300 West Virginia applicants in its Individuals and Households program. Its Public Assistance Program had committed more than $53 million for infrastructure repairs and restoration.

Another $50 million in loans had been approved by the Small Business Administration, as well as $32 million in claims approved by the National Flood Insurance Program.