The Williamson Field House, in Mingo County, is the main distribution center for food and supplies, as seen here on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, for residents affected by the flooding that damaged numerous homes and businesses along the Tug Fork River in Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Wednesday evening the federal government has accepted his request for a Major Disaster Declaration in West Virginia following severe flooding in the southern part of the state earlier this month.
For now, residents in four counties — McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wyoming — can receive Individual Assistance through a program that provides funds to people experiencing significant damage to homes or property.
Other counties in the request — Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Raleigh, Summers and Wayne — still remain under consideration by FEMA, according to a news release from Morrisey’s office.
“The Major Disaster Declaration will supplement the work being completed on the ground and provide relief to recovering communities in southern West Virginia,†Morrisey said in the release.
See all the photos of flooding in southern West Virginia from Feb. 15-17, 2025.
The declaration also provides the opportunity for West Virginia counties to participate in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which can provide resources to alleviate or reduce future flooding and assist Public Service Districts with wastewater treatment and other long-term hazard reduction projects.
Morrisey’s Public Assistance request is still under review by FEMA.
According to FEMA, the two programs are funded differently and benefit individuals and communities in different ways. The broader Public Assistance program provides grants to government entities and certain nonprofits for public infrastructure rebuilding and other large projects.
The Williamson Field House, in Mingo County, is the main distribution center for food and supplies, as seen here on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, for residents affected by the flooding that damaged numerous homes and businesses along the Tug Fork River in Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.
“We were grateful that we got it,†Nathan Brown, president of the Mingo County Commission, said about the Major Disaster Declaration.
He said Public Assistance could “go a long way†to helping the county with debris pickup.
“ If we don’t get the Public Assistance, the county is going to be on the hook for trying to pay for all this,†he said. “We simply can’t afford that.â€
The county could also use the funds to pay employee overtime and clean up, he said.
“ Restoring the public and restoring the area to the shape that it was in prior to the disaster would be my goal,†Brown said.
The West Virginia National Guard has been hauling debris from affected homes in Mingo County. Recovery is “steadily moving along,†Brown said.
Brown said he has spoken to seven families who “essentially lost everything they had†in addition to people who lost a substantial amount without their home being completely destroyed.
The Williamson Field House, 1703 W. Third Ave., has served as a hub for donations. As of Saturday, around 15 people were still staying there for shelter.
For those looking to donate or volunteer, the county needs cleaning supplies and volunteers to help people clean.
“ We’ve had supplies and donations come from out of state, from in state, from local businesses,†he said. “Everyone’s just kind of pitched in together to help us get through this tough time and we’re appreciative of it. It doesn’t go unnoticed.â€
Why does Kentucky have Public Assistance already?
The 10 counties in Kentucky that recently received a Major Disaster Declaration received Public Assistance. There were 23 deaths in Kentucky’s flooding. West Virginia had three flooding-related deaths.
Kentucky’s Monday Major Disaster Declaration that resulted in Individual Assistance and Public Assistance in 10 counties was accelerrated, according to an email from FEMA.
“Expedited disaster declarations are generally limited to what would address immediate needs based on rapid assessments until Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) are completed and the full severity and magnitude of the event can be validated,†the organization said in a statement.
The organization said there was no “typical timeline†between submission of a request and a determination. There are many factors FEMA considers for Public Assistance, including estimated cost of assistance, localized impacts, insurance coverage and other recent disasters.
In West Virginia, damage must be estimated at $3.4 million to indicate that a disaster is of such severity that it might warrant the Public Assistance program.
Preliminary Damage Assessments are continuing in the flood-impacted counties. The requests for Public Assistance for these four counties and Individual and Public Assistance for nine more counties are under review.
Find more information on the process at FEMA.gov/Disaster/How-Declared.
What they said
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, both R-W.Va., along with Reps. Carol Miller and Riley Moore, also both R-W.Va., on Feb. 18 sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Regional Administrator Lilian Hutchinson in support of Morrisey’s request.
On Wednesday, they thanked the Trump administration for the initial disaster declaration.
“We are grateful for the efforts and service of Governor Morrisey, local leaders, neighbors, first responders, and the West Virginia National Guardsmen who sprang into action when these storms struck,†the lawmakers said in a combined statement Wednesday night. “The Trump administration’s approval of our state’s request for federal disaster aid is welcome news for communities in McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, and Wyoming counties as they work to recover and rebuild following these devastating storms, and we are glad that help will soon be on the way to southern West Virginia,†the lawmakers said.
Morrisey echoed those sentiments.
“I’m grateful to President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem for stepping up to support West Virginians in need,†Morrisey said in a news release Wednesday. “Thank you as well to Senators Capito and Justice, and to Representatives Miller and Moore, for their efforts. The Major Disaster Declaration will supplement the work being completed on the ground and provide relief to recovering communities in southern West Virginia.â€
West Virginia leaders quiet on FEMA cuts
Spokespeople for Justice, Miller and Moore did not respond to requests for comment on whether they support Trump’s moves to fire hundreds of FEMA employees and concerns FEMA staff in the agency’s grant programs and flood insurance program may be terminated in line with Trump’s stated consideration of eliminating the agency. Such a move would require an act of Congress.
Capito has touted the importance of FEMA help and contended some disasters are too large for states to handle alone. Capito voted against the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which included significant support for climate resilience measures aimed at protecting against climate change impacts like flooding devastation from increasingly frequent severe weather events.
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