WILLIAMSON, W.Va. – Mingo County residents continue to dig out of flood mud and debris as the Mingo County Commission and Mingo County Office of Emergency Services personnel continue to coordinate with state and federal officials to prepare for the arrival of Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel in the county.
MCC and OES staff members spend all today communicating with West Virginia Emergency Management Division representatives and FEMA agents following United States President Donald Trump’s Individual Assistance declaration was announced Wednesday evening. While no date has been set for when disaster relief centers will open in the county, residents affected by the floods can begin the application process by visiting https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4861.
The federal declaration named Mingo, Mercer, Wyoming and McDowell as covered counties following the devastating flooding event that occurred Feb. 14-16.
Mingo County residents who need assistance with cleanup can submit a request at: https://forms.office.com/r/K6GnGxKwyb.
Residents displaced by the flood event can apply for housing assistance by visiting www.mingohousing.com.
Distribution of food, clothing, water, cleaning supplies and other items continue at the designated pods located throughout the county.
The U.S. Army National Guard continues to collect flood debris throughout the county. Debris collection is a slow process due to the large amount of it and the Guard will continue to work throughout the county to remove it as quickly as possible. Guard crews will make several passes through all areas of the county to ensure that all debris is collected.
While the storms took out water, electricity, telephone and internet services to most of the county, utility companies are continuing to restore service. The most persistent outages remain with public water providers as line breaks and small leaks continue to plague the Mingo County Public Service District (PSD).
Today, PSD operators continued to fill tanks in Dingess, Lenore, Belo and Ben Creek. Leaks were being repaired in Chattaroy and a down pump in the Dans Branch area has left four customers without water until further notice.
MCC President Nathan Brown expressed gratitude for having received the federal disaster declaration.
“I’m extremely appreciative of all the local, state and federal officials who have worked hard to obtain this necessary designation,” Brown said. “Without the help of the state and federal government, along with their dedicated volunteers, Mingo County could not sufficiently recover from this flooding event.
“While we have worked hard to get to this point, there is still much to do in the days ahead. The county commission will continue to serve people and work hard to ensure we achieve optimal results.”
