Flood recovery efforts continue across southern West Virginia as Logan and Wayne counties have been added to the federal disaster declaration following the February storms.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Monday, March 10, the counties will now join McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wyoming counties, which were declared eligible for federal assistance late February.

The update follows severe storms on Feb. 15-16 that caused flooding and landslides, damaging homes and businesses across the region. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already approved more than $1 million in individual assistance grants.

During the announcement, Morrisey credited President Donald Trump for his support.

“I’m grateful to the Trump administration for approving my request for recovery assistance in Logan and Wayne counties,” Morrisey said. “The Individual Assistance program will provide relief to those in need and aid our recovery efforts across southern West Virginia.”

To support flood victims, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened Monday, March 10, in Wyoming and Mingo Counties. The centers are located in the Pineville area of Wyoming County and the Williamson area of Mingo County. Walk-ins are welcome at all DRC locations, and appointments are not required.

Disaster Recovery Centers provide resources for those impacted by the floods, including assistance with applying for FEMA aid, checking the status of existing applications, submitting appeal letters and supporting documents and connecting with additional state and federal recovery programs.

Morrisey said residents of Logan and Wayne counties can immediately apply for individual disaster assistance at disasterassistance.gov, by phone at 1-800-621-3362 or through the FEMA mobile app.

In addition to flood relief efforts, Morrisey announced all schools across West Virginia are now open. McDowell County schools, the last to remain closed due to flood damage, reopened Monday, March 10.

While individual assistance has been approved, Morrisey is still waiting for the White House to respond to his request for Public Assistance. If granted, this would help repair public infrastructure and fund additional recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas.

Damage assessments in other counties are ongoing as officials work with FEMA to determine whether more areas may qualify for federal support.

Bethany Jarrell can be contacted at [email protected]