The two counties are eligible for funding as a result of flooding earlier this month which caused Manchin to declare a state of emergency in six southern West Virginia counties. Mingo and Wyoming counties received federal disaster declarations from President Barack Obama last week, making them eligible for assistance such as rental payments for temporary housing, grants for home repairs, and small business loans.
Choosing one of the hardest hit communities by the May 9 flooding to enter the agreement, Manchin and his group met with FEMA officials in Gilbert where local leaders and citizens gathered to witness the sign of relief. The agreement made yesterday spells out what type of assistance is available for Mingo and Wyoming residents.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported earlier this week a list of federal aid programs for West Virginia disaster recovery (see federal aid programs list ... page 6).
As of May 21, FEMA had put out more than $1 million ($1,077,000) in individual assistance in Mingo and Wyoming counties, Public Information Officer Bill Lindsey said yesterday.
FEMA has been assessing the damage in the two counties, and has taken 1,795 applications (1,289 from Mingo and 506 from Wyoming) as of yesterday, Lindsey said, adding there is an approximate two-day response time — between the time an application is submitted and a technician calls. There are 37 inspectors in the field presently, who have completed 598 inspections, Lindsey said.
FEMA has opened three centers in Mingo County where flood victims can find and submit applications for assistance. The centers are located in Matewan at Town Hall, in Gilbert at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center, and in the Varney area, at the volunteer Delbarton Fire Department substation on Pigeon Creek. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closed on Sunday.
The centers will be open on Memorial Day.
Applications can also be submitted online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear asked President Obama for an emergency declaration for damages from weekend storms which caused 19 counties and six cities to declare states of emergency. Mem-bers of Congress — Hal Rogers, Ben Chandler, John Yarmuth, Edward Whit-field, Geoff Davis and Brett Guthrie — and and state senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning sent a letter of support for Beshear, pleading for an emergency declaration in order to afford flood victims access to assistance. However, Obama has not made a decision.
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