Getting money to rebuild after Helene could take months

Residents of Southwest Virginia have begun to dig out from the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene and to assess what they need to rebuild their homes and lives.

But getting the money needed to rebuild from state and federal agencies can take weeks or months, and the process is often slowed by bureaucracy and safeguards meant to protect against fraudulent claims.

While the state had money to clear roads, reestablish electrical and cellphone service, and provide access to food, water and medical supplies for people affected in the immediate aftermath of the storm, money for residents’ rebuilding needs will take longer to be disbursed.

Resources for residents and localities to rebuild homes, businesses and infrastructure are largely reliant on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. And resources are not yet available to residents through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, or VDEM, because the state agency is waiting to see how much will be awarded in disaster relief aid from FEMA, said Katie Carter, a spokesperson for VDEM.

As of Tuesday morning, agencies did not have a total number of homes damaged or people displaced as both FEMA and localities continue to conduct assessments.

No state money for disaster recovery

The General Assembly included $26 million for Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management in its 2024 biennial budget. However, that money is not available for disaster recovery for individuals.

Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell County, said there is no money available on the state level for assistance for individuals affected by Helene.

“The only way that you can get that is to pass legislation like what was passed with the Hurley and the Whitewood funds and those funds have historically been administered by the [Department of Housing and Community Development],” he said.

Any money left over from Hurley or Whitewood would not be able to be used for Helene. It would need to be reappropriated to Helene victims through legislation.

Hackworth said anyone who needs immediate financial assistance should reach out to United Way of Southwest Virginia. Folks can also donate to the organization to help support victims of Helene.

Area lawmakers are exploring other means of getting money immediately to victims, including through a possible partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, but that has yet to be solidified, Hackworth said.

Lawmakers have also considered the creation of an immediate relief fund administered by the state that would get money to residents who need it as soon as the day after a disaster. However, that idea would need to be explored further in the upcoming legislative session, Hackworth said.

Virginia’s federal lawmakers split on whether more federal funding is needed

Virginia’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, on Tuesday called on Congress to return to Capitol Hill to address the storm damage and pass a disaster relief bill to further aid in recovery.

“There is an important priority in getting us to come back and do a disaster supplemental for these states,” Kaine said during a press call. “It’s not just one community or one state, it is a regional catastrophe hitting the entire Southeast.”

States hit by severe weather related to Hurricane Helene include Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

“We need a robust federal response to assist Virginians impacted by this storm. Congress must return to Washington to pass a disaster supplemental to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Virginia and across the Southeast,” Warner said in a statement.

Congress is on recess until after the presidential election.

Republican Congressman Morgan Griffith, who represents the commonwealth’s 9th District, said that at this point he does not think it’s necessary for lawmakers to return to Capitol Hill to pass a supplemental aid bill, however.

“FEMA has funds through December 20 that can be used to support Hurricane Helene emergency operations and recovery efforts,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “FEMA also has Immediate Needs Funding as a stopgap if its normal appropriation through December 20 runs dry.”

But FEMA’s Immediate Needs Funding was already short $9 billion before the storm, according to statements made by the agency’s administrator, Deanne Criswell, during a White House press briefing on Thursday .

FEMA has implemented Immediate Needs Funding nine times since 2001 , including for Hurricane Harvey recovery in 2017. Griffith said he would keep an eye on FEMA’s disaster relief services and make decisions accordingly, going forward.

Correction posted 8:40 a.m.: A previous version erroneously described state money for flood relief.

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