Warner, Kaine & Griffith Push Federal Government for Assistance with Flooding Disaster in Southwest Virginia

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) along with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) wrote a letter to President Biden, formally requesting the approval of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration and federal assistance for individuals affected by the extreme and devastating rainfall event that occurred on July 13, 2022. This request includes Individual and Public Assistance for Buchanan County, Public Assistance for Tazewell County, and Hazard Mitigation for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“This extreme storm event dropped seven inches of rain on eastern Buchanan County and northwestern Tazewell County within several hours, which resulted in flash flooding that damaged waterlines, transmission lines, roads, bridges, homes, and businesses. The joint preliminary damage assessment found that this severe storm event destroyed 37 homes and caused significant damage to 54 other properties in Buchanan County,” wrote the lawmakers. “This major storm event comes less than a year after the community of Hurley, Virginia – located in Buchanan County – experienced a devastating rainfall event that resulted in heavy flooding, landslides, and mudslides that destroyed 31 homes and resulted in major damage to 27 other properties, along with extensive damage to other public and private infrastructure.”

“Our constituents in Buchanan County are still grappling with the aftermath of this devastating storm event, which resulted in a Major Disaster Declaration, and are now forced to respond to this debilitating storm event. Many residents in Buchanan County remain displaced from last year’s extreme rainfall event and are already facing another uprooting of their lives,” they continued. “The impact of these two natural disasters within a calendar year has severely stressed the resources and capabilities of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Buchanan County. We hope you consider this cumulative impact on this community as you review the Commonwealth’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.”

In their letter, the lawmakers noted the particular need for Individual Assistance for Buchanan County and its residents, who have withstood multiple natural disasters within a year. The Administration’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration would provide a surge of federal resources and support, allowing Virginia to more quickly respond to and recover from the direct and indirect consequences caused by July’s storm.  

Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Griffith have been pushing for federal assistance since the devastating floods of August 2021. In October 2021, they sent a bipartisan letter to President Biden to express their strong support for former Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam's September 30th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Buchanan County. Later that month, the President approved Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which provided Public Assistance for Buchanan County and Hazard Mitigation for the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, on October 29, the Administration issued a formal denial of Governor Northam’s request for Individual Assistance for Buchanan County. In December 2021, Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Griffith sent a letter to President Biden asking his administration to approve an appeal that would grant federal assistance to individual residents in and around Hurley, Virginia. Despite these efforts, Virginia’s appeal was ultimately denied in January 2022.

Today’s letter comes after Sen. Warner visited Buchanan County on August 22 and Sen. Kaine and Rep. Griffith visited Buchanan County on August 26 – all to see the impacts of the flooding and hear from impacted Virginians.

A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear President Biden:

We write today to express our strong support for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the counties of Buchanan and Tazewell, following the extreme and devastating rainfall event that occurred on July 13, 2022. The Governor has requested Individual and Public Assistance for Buchanan County, Public Assistance for Tazewell County, and Hazard Mitigation for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

On July 13, 2022, Governor Youngkin declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth following severe flooding that occurred that morning. This extreme storm event dropped seven inches of rain on eastern Buchanan County and northwestern Tazewell County within several hours, which resulted in flash flooding that damaged waterlines, transmission lines, roads, bridges, homes, and businesses. The joint preliminary damage assessment found that this severe storm event destroyed 37 homes and caused significant damage to 54 other properties in Buchanan County.

This major storm event comes less than a year after the community of Hurley, Virginia – located in Buchanan County – experienced a devastating rainfall event that resulted in heavy flooding, landslides, and mudslides that destroyed 31 homes and resulted in major damage to 27 other properties, along with extensive damage to other public and private infrastructure. Our constituents in Buchanan County are still grappling with the aftermath of this devastating storm event, which resulted in a Major Disaster Declaration, and are now forced to respond to this debilitating storm event. Many residents in Buchanan County remain displaced from last year’s extreme rainfall event and are already facing another uprooting of their lives. The impact of these two natural disasters within a calendar year has severely stressed the resources and capabilities of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Buchanan County. We hope you consider this cumulative impact on this community as you review the Commonwealth’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.

A Major Disaster Declaration would ensure the full availability of federal resources to support the Commonwealth’s efforts to guarantee public safety and rapid recovery from the direct and indirect effects of this significant storm event. Federal assistance – particularly the issuance of Individual Assistance – is needed in Buchanan County to help our constituents recover and rebuild following multiple natural disasters.

We thank you for your consideration of Governor Youngkin’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration. We look forward to working with you, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other relevant federal agencies to ensure the Commonwealth of Virginia has the resources available to support our constituents following this tragic event.

Sincerely,

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