It is two years since the state was hit by a blizzard and subsequent flooding in January 1996 that began a devastating pattern of repeated flooding for the next 14 months. Between January 1996 and March 1997, West Virginia was hit by five floods of such magnitude as to result in Presidential disaster declarations. This aid covers emergency services, debris removal and the repair or replacement of public facilities such as roads, bridges, buildings and utilities. The money for any particular disaster will be an amount equal to 15 percent of the amount FEMA spends to assist disaster victims and communities. After they are prioritized by the state, viable proposals will be sent to FEMA for review by February 9, 1998.
Mitigation saves money and it saves lives.