More than $1 million provided to April disaster survivors in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Nearly two weeks after President Biden issued a major disaster declaration for West Virginia, more than $1 million has been approved for renters and homeowners dealing with the aftermath of the severe weather experienced from April 2-6, 2024.

The funds designated for relief efforts include more than $675,000 in housing assistance to help homeowners and renters facing obstacles like temporary housing and essential home repairs. Additionally, more than $417,000 has been apportioned for other needs assistance, which covers expenses such as transportation, medical and dental, and childcare costs. Over 756 households and businesses have registered with FEMA thus far.

FEMA is pleased and proud to be able to help West Virginians recover from the devastation of those early April storms. We’re especially pleased to see how the updates to the Individual Assistance program have helped more people get funding they need in a faster and easier way.

Jeff Jones | Federal Coordinating Officer

Five housing inspectors have completed more than 300 inspections of properties damaged in the storms to verify the damage to date. Federal disaster assistance is available to residents of 11 counties: Fayette, Nicholas, Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Ohio, Putnam, Wayne, and Wetzel.

The State and FEMA have opened two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Kanawha and Nicholas counties, with Putnam and Wetzel counties scheduled to open this week, and more opening soon. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The Kanawha County DRC will be open through June 8. Future locations serving Kanawha County will be announced weekly as they are established.

The Kanawha County Disaster Recovery Center is located at the Tyler Mountain Fire Department, 5380 Big Tyler Road, Charleston, WV, 25313.

The Nicholas County Disaster Recovery Center is located at the Nicholas County Office of Emergency Management, 449 Water Street, Summersville, WV, 26651.

Those who have survived the disaster do not have to visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to register with FEMA. If they cannot visit a DRC, call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as a video relay service, captioned telephone service, or others, give the number for that service to FEMA.

The easiest and fastest way to apply for aid is by visiting the disaster assistance website .

FEMA has deployed six Disaster Survivor Assistance teams to canvass shelters and visit storm-damaged homes in hard-hit areas to register people and answer questions that they may have.

Other help is also available to individuals:

• Additional Disaster Recovery Centers will be opening in counties affected. Visit the FEMA DRC Locator page for details on open centers in West Virginia.
• For those who lost work due to the storms, Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available. Visit Work Force West Virginia for more information.

Disaster assistance grants from FEMA are not taxable income and do not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, welfare assistance, food stamps, and several more programs. Disaster grants do not have to be paid back to the government.

One of FEMA’s federal partners in disaster recover, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of varying sizes, homeowners, renters, and non-profit private organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover rebuilding costs, repairs, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property and real estate.

For information regarding SBA loans, call the Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email SBA here , or visit the SBA website , where applicants can also apply for an SBA loan online. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

For more information regarding West Virginia’s disaster recovery, click here .

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