Two-Month Recap: Federal Assistance Near $5 Million for West Virginia Flood Recovery

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Oct. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

In two months since West Virginia received a federal major disaster declaration following the severe storms of July 28-29, 2017, about $4.8 million in federal assistance has been approved for recovery. Assistance continues to flow.

Individuals and Households Program (IHP)

About 940 applications for FEMA assistance were submitted. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program has approved nearly $2.6 million for homeowners and renters. This assistance can include grants for rent, temporary housing and home repairs to a primary residence, as well as other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Four counties were designated eligible for FEMA's Individual Assistance: Harrison, Marion, Marshall and Wetzel.

The total includes:

Rental Assistance: $286,000

Home Repair Assistance: $1.9 million

Other Needs Assistance (ONA): $442,000

This assistance is provided to individuals and households to help address necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot be met through other forms of disaster assistance or insurance. Forms of other needs assistance under IHP include personal property, medical, dental and funeral.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

$2.23 million in SBA loans have been approved to help individuals and businesses recover from July's disaster.

Public Assistance (PA)

FEMA's Public Assistance Program will provide grants to state and local governments and certain nonprofit entities for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure. The federal share of assistance for this disaster is 75 percent of eligible costs. Twelve counties were designated eligible for Public Assistance: Doddridge, Harrison, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, and Wetzel. Hazard Mitigation Grant funding will be available state-wide.

* Preliminary Damage Assessments estimates reached $8.5 million for the July 28-29 severe weather event.

* There are 39 Public Assistance applicants with projects totaling $15 million; the majority of projects belong to the West Virginia Department of Highways.