Flood Preparedness Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Legislators Hear About Funding For Flood Damage Reduction, Prevention

The West Virginia Legislature’s Joint Committee on Flooding met Tuesday morning to consider renewed funding to help mitigate flood damage in the southern part of the state.

Attorney Carl Fletcher of the Government Organization Committee reviewed two potential bills that would see $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds go towards the demolition of buildings destroyed by flood damage.

If passed, the bills would modify the state’s existing Abandoned and Dilapidated Properties Program to expressly include flood-damaged buildings.

“We just wanted to be doubly sure that it could include that, and that was the debate council had and staff had among itself whether we even needed the second bill, but we wanted to do that,” Fletcher said.

The program was initially created under the Department of Environmental Protection in 2021 with the passage of Senate Bill 368, with an initial $10 million in funding being granted under Senate Bill 722 in March earlier this year.

The committee plans to officially recognize the bills during their next meeting in January before the start of the legislative session.

Another topic introduced was the securing of renewed funding of streamgages installed across the state’s waterways. These devices measure water elevation and flow levels in rivers and help detect floods early on.

The state provided $820,000 of the total funding of streamgages in 2022, and it’s expected that state funding could increase to more than $876,000 in 2023, an increase of more than 4 percent. In 2024, the DEP is projecting another 5 percent increase putting funding needs at an estimated $940,000.

“Operational costs have increased. I mean, we see that in everyday life,” said DEP representative Jeremy White. “On our end, travel is expensive, the equipment itself is more expensive, repairs for equipment are more expensive. And in reality, salaries are also more expensive.”

Funding for streamgages became a line item in the state budget in fiscal year 2019, and they provide around a third of total funding alongside the United States Geological Survey and other federal, local and private organizations.

Eastern Kentucky Prepares For More Flash Floods

More rain is expected across the region this week, while many communities in central Appalachia are still recovering from flash floods last week.

Residents of eastern Kentucky are bracing once again for more storms just as they begin to clean up from deadly floods that killed at least 35 people and left hundreds missing.

As much as four inches of rain fell Sunday, and the National Weather Service expects there to be isolated thunderstorms and damaging winds going into Monday evening.

“There is severe storm potential today and all of the impacted areas,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. “You think about how saturated the grid ground has been. It could knock over poles, it could knock over trees.”

Beshear noted the progress made in restoring phone service, and that search and rescue teams now have access to areas that were previously unreachable.

According to Beshear during an update Monday morning, 14 emergency shelters assisted 483 residents, with 150 other residents being housed in state parks.

Residents of Breathitt, Clay, Knott, Letcher and Perry Counties who were affected by the storms starting in July can apply for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

They can go online to https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or call 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-621-3362. Beshear hopes to expand the assistance to residents in all the flooded counties.

A high pressure system could bring some hot weather on Wednesday, which could help dry portions of the region.

Flooding Hits Panhandles, Hurricane Florence Expected to Hit Southern W.Va Later this Week

Both the Northern and Eastern Panhandles are experiencing flooding this week as rain continues to fall on the two regions. Preparations are also being made across the state to respond to possible heavy rainfall from Hurricane Florence at the end of the week.

Northern Panhandle Flooding

Emergency management officials are expecting the Ohio River in the Northern Panhandle to crest Tuesday afternoon at 39 feet – which is lower than previously anticipated, and one foot lower than what’s considered the “moderate flood” level.

Some low-lying areas surrounding the river are expected to take water nonetheless, and cleanup plans are in place to help pump water out of basements and remove any mud and debris.

Officials have been managing minor flooding around swollen creeks in the region, but report that those creeks are now back within their banks.

Eastern Panhandle Flooding

In the Eastern Panhandle, the National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties. The Opequon Creek near Martinsburg and the Potomac River are in flood stage and are expected to remain so for 24 to 48 hours.

The National Weather Service has also issued a hazardous weather outlook for Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Mineral and Pendleton counties. It will remain in effect through Sunday.

Officials with Jefferson County Emergency Management report that despite high water throughout the region, no major issues have been reported.

Hurricane Florence Approaches

Both panhandles and the entire state are preparing for what’s coming at the end of the week – heavy rainfall from Hurricane Florence.

Lora Lipscomb, the Public Information Officer for West Virginia Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Hurricane Florence is expected to hit southern West Virginia at the end of this week. She said officials are expecting rainfall from the storm to begin possibly Thursday or Friday.

WV DHSEM officials are also stationing switfwater rescue teams and National Guardsmen in the region and is making resource preparations before the storm lands.

Lipscomb said they do not know yet how bad the storm could be, but the WV DHSEM is in contact with the National Weather Service and statewide emergency officials.