Warner, Kaine, Griffith Announce $174,458 for Disaster Relief in Hurley
The funds will help Hurley recover from devastating flooding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) along with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) today announced $174,458 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to the United Way of Southwest Virginia, Inc. for the Hurley Disaster Recovery Project following the August 30, 2021 flooding in Hurley, Virginia.
“The Town of Hurley has been left reeling from catastrophic flooding that took place last August,” the lawmakers said. “This funding will provide much-needed relief to the area and help those still dealing with the effects to rebuild.”
Losses due to the flooding affected 1,000 community members, as 30 residential structures were damaged and more than 40 were completely destroyed. The ARC funds will be used to support a public-private partnership, which is coordinating the long-term recovery efforts from the flooding. The project will support Hurley in its recovery from the August 30, 2021 flood event by assisting 70 households with disaster relief and constructing or rehabilitating 50 homes.
Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Griffith have been pushing for federal assistance since the devastating floods. Earlier this month the lawmakers announced the availability of disaster assistance applications for Southwest Virginia residents and businesses affected by the flooding.
In October 2021, the lawmakers 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. On October 26, 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, 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a formal denial of Governor Northam’s request for Individual Assistance for Buchanan County.
In December 2021, Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Morgan 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. Despite these efforts, Virginia’s appeal was ultimately denied last month.
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