Storm Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Final Week To Apply For Federal Aid Over April Storms, Floods

Renters and homeowners have just over one week to apply for aid from the federal government over storms and flooding that struck West Virginia in early April.

Renters and homeowners have just over one week to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over storms and flooding that struck West Virginia on April 11 and 12.

FEMA can help fund basic needs and repair projects spurred by storm damage in Boone, Hancock, Kanawha, Marshall, Ohio, Roane, Wetzel and Wood counties. The funds cannot apply to repairs already covered by insurance.

Residents of Brooke, Doddridge, Gilmer, Lincoln and Tyler counties may also be eligible for public assistance on the state or local level.

President Joe Biden approved FEMA’s disaster declaration for the storms in May, opening affected West Virginia regions to federal aid. Applications for the current round of aid to West Virginia were initially due in September, but the agency extended its deadline to Nov. 2.

This year, FEMA announced it streamlined its disaster aid application process, removing some application requirements.

West Virginia residents may also be eligible for financial support from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). However, loan offers may be delayed “due to a lapse in congressional funding,” according to the SBA website.

Property and business owners from counties affected by the storm can apply for low-interest disaster relief loans from the SBA to offset financial losses. The deadline to apply for these loans is also Nov. 2.

Individuals seeking FEMA aid can apply online, or over the phone at 1-800-621-3362. For more information on eligibility and financial aid for the April storms, visit the agency’s website.

Individuals interested in applying for SBA loans can also do so online. For more information, residents can also contact the SBA over the phone at 1-800-659-2955, or over email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

One Month Left To Apply For Business Loans Over Storm-Related Damages

Just one month remains for business owners and residents affected by extreme weather incidents in April to apply for disaster assistance loans with the United States Small Business Administration.

Just one month remains for business owners and residents affected by extreme weather incidents in April to apply for disaster assistance loans with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

The SBA is currently accepting applications for its low-interest disaster loan, which can subsidize property and structure repair costs that are not already covered by insurance providers.

There is no application fee associated with the disaster loans, and applicants can choose to accept or deny the loans offered to them. The loans also do not accrue interest or have required payments for the first 12 months after they are granted.

Additionally, the SBA is accepting applications for its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

Granted to private nonprofits and small businesses, these loans do not require proof of physical damages. Instead, the EIDL program grants participants a capital loan, which helps them cover operating expenses as they recover from disaster-related revenue loss.

While insurance coverage might affect the size of the loan applicants receive, Stephen Clark, public affairs specialist for the SBA, said resident and business owners should not hesitate to begin the application process.

“Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying,” he wrote in a Thursday email to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

“If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan,” he said.

The deadline to apply for both loans is July 22.

Residents and businesses in 11 West Virginia counties — Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Wayne and Wetzel counties — are eligible to apply for the loans.

With the approval of President Joe Biden, the April weather incidents were declared a major disaster for the 11 counties, opening them to federal disaster aid.

In addition to the SBA loans, residents, workers and businesses in these counties may also be eligible to apply for financial assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and WorkForce West Virginia.

Additional financial support for businesses and residents affected by April's severe weather is also available through WorkForce West Virginia.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Residents and business owners can apply for the loans online at the SBA website.

For more information on the loan application process, prospective applicants can schedule an appointment at the SBA’s business recovery centers in the Charleston Area Alliance or the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Wheeling.

The SBA can also provide information on the loans over the phone at 1-800-659-2955, or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Prospective applicants with speech or hearing accessibility needs can dial 7-1-1 for telecommunications relay services that can connect to the SBA service number.

FEMA Surpasses $1 Million In Aid For Residents Affected By April Storms

FEMA has surpassed $1 million in aid approved for West Virginia residents affected by flooding, landslides and tornadoes in early April. The money will go toward housing, essential needs and more.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $1 million in aid for West Virginia residents and businesses affected by severe weather events in April including flooding, landslides and tornadoes.

Residents and businesses in 11 West Virginia counties affected by the storms — Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Wayne and Wetzel counties, specifically — are eligible for the current round of federal aid through FEMA.

The $1 million in aid will go toward housing assistance, essential needs support and more. The agency announced Wednesday that 756 West Virginia households and businesses have been approved for aid thus far.

Applications for federal aid through FEMA remain open, and a deadline for applications has not yet been announced.

Qualifying residents can apply for aid at disasterassistance.gov, or call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362.

Residents can also speak with FEMA representatives in person at disaster recovery centers in Kanawha or Nicholas counties.

Some West Virginia residents whose work was affected by the severe weather may also be eligible to receive unemployment benefits through WorkForce West Virginia. For more information on accessing these benefits, see our previous reporting.

Some residents who lost their jobs or were unable to work due to severe weather in April may be eligible for unemployment benefits through WorkForce West Virginia.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

FEMA Declares April Storms Major Disaster, Opening W.Va. To Federal Funds

Flooding, landslides and tornadoes swept West Virginia in April. FEMA has declared the events a major disaster, allowing residents to apply for federal aid for damages.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared a stretch of extreme weather in West Virginia last month — including flooding, landslides and tornadoes — a major disaster, opening the state to federal relief funds.

The declaration was made Wednesday. After the incidents in April, Gov. Jim Justice said during a virtual press briefing the state would pursue a FEMA disaster declaration that encompassed all of the local incidents.

In making a disaster declaration, FEMA needs to see “a great number of people that are affected, or a great amount of property damage,” he said.

Residents affected in designated areas of the state — primarily the Kanawha Valley, Northern Panhandle and Preston County — can now apply for federal financial support over personal, business or property damages incurred during the incidents from April 2 to April 6.

Residents can apply for the funding at disasterassistance.gov.

For more information on the disaster declaration and resources available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, visit fema.gov/disaster/4783.

Sawmills, Storm Fund Squabbles And The Solar Eclipse, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, residents celebrated the end of Ramadan and a solar eclipse, while state officials squabbled over state emergency funds related to last week’s storms.

On this West Virginia Week, West Virginia residents were united by Monday’s solar eclipse, spreading out across college campuses and community parks to observe the astronomical event.

Meanwhile, decision-making over last week’s storms has proven more divisive among state officials.

We’ll dive into these topics, plus changes to a pair of West Virginia sawmills, how Muslim residents celebrated the end of Ramadan, and the much-anticipated return of the American chestnut to Appalachia.

Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Justice Expands Storm Emergency Declaration To 8 New Counties

On Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice expanded a state of emergency declaration to include seven additional West Virginia counties: Barbour, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Wetzel and Wood counties.

Updated on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.

On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice expanded last week’s state of emergency declaration to include Pleasants County.

Justice cited “severe thunderstorms” that caused “flooding, downed trees, power outages and road blockages” for the local community last week in a Monday press release.

With the expanded declaration, a state of emergency is now in place for 15 counties across the state in response to the storms.

Original Story: Justice Expands Storm Emergency Declaration To 7 New Counties

Gov. Jim Justice expanded a Tuesday state of emergency declaration to include seven additional West Virginia counties on Thursday.

Under the amended declaration, Barbour, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Wetzel and Wood counties are now under a state of emergency.

They join Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln and Nicholas counties, which received the declaration earlier this week.

The emergency declaration follows intense storms that stretched across West Virginia, bringing power outages, structural damages and even an EF-2 tornado in Fayette County, with winds of 130 mph.

By expanding the emergency declaration, Justice opened new counties up to emergency response resources.

Meanwhile, a state of preparedness declaration that Justice issued on Tuesday remains in effect for all 55 counties in the state.

A step down from a state of emergency, this declaration still encourages residents to stay vigilant regarding public safety concerns.

For additional information on the storms, visit the National Weather Service website.

Residents seeking non-emergency assistance related to the storms can contact local dispatchers through the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD). Visit the WVEMD website for more information.