A FEMA disaster recovery center will be opening in Mercer County on Monday.
The Disaster Recovery Center will be located at the Maple View Church of Christ, which is located at 194 Robins Rest Road, Bluefield. It will open at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16, according to Mercer County Emergency Services Director Keith Gunnoe.
Maple View Church of Christ is located beside of the Mercer Mall, not far from the Roses department store. At the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, area residents who sustained damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene will be able to apply for federal assistance.
Gunnoe said the disaster recovery center will be open for at least a month.
“I would suspect at least a month,” Gunnoe said. “It depends upon the number of affected folks. We had well over 1,400 or 1,500 we did surveys on and there is probably more than that that had reportable damage.”
Gunnoe said signage will be placed at the church showing area residents where to meet with the FEMA representatives.
Gunnoe was scheduled to meet with FEMA officials Thursday evening. He said additional information should be available today regarding the local FEMA center, including its daily hours of operation.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene pounded the region on the morning and afternoon hours of September 27 with tropical-force winds and flooding.
The powerful storm toppled trees and power lines across the region with many trees falling on homes and vehicles. Thousands across the area went without electricity for more than a week.
FEMA also announced Thursday that Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will be in Mercer County beginning today to provide help to people affected by Helene. FEMA said staff can answer questions about applications for Individual Assistance as well as help people who have not yet registered.
The teams will help conduct outreach in the county, help survivors register for FEMA assistance, check the status of applications and can make minor corrections to applications.
According to FEMA, the federal agency may be able to help Mercer County residents pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other needs due to the disaster, including:
• Essential items such as water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, medical supplies and equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation
• Rental assistance if you are displaced because of the disaster including financial assistance for the following: hotel stays, stays with family and friends, or other options while you look for a rental unit
• Repair or replacement of a vehicle, appliances, room furnishings, personal or family computer
• Books, uniforms, tools, computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment
• Moving and storage fees, medical expenses, childcare and funeral expenses
Area lawmakers applauded Thursday the announcement of the opening of the local FEMA recovery center and the federal disaster declaration for Mercer County.
“Just last week, I joined Vice President-elect Vance to see some of the devastation that Hurricane Helene brought, and I know that impact unfortunately included Mercer and Raleigh County,” U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said. “Americans, and West Virginians especially, show up to help one another after a disaster. We have done this in the past and will continue to do so. I am glad that FEMA has approved West Virginia’s request for a major disaster declaration for Mercer County after I advocated for Administrator Criswell to take this step last month. Now, we can focus on getting necessary aid to residents in need.”
“I am proud that the members of the West Virginia delegation were able to work together and push for this declaration, which will be essential in ensuring that our communities have the federal support they need to recover from Hurricane Helene,” U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., added. “I have always worked alongside my colleagues to ensure that our West Virginians receive the resources they need to rebuild when disaster strikes, and I will continue to advocate for communities across the Mountain State.”
“Many communities in southern West Virginia were left with nothing but destruction and devastation after the storm,” U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., said. “I am grateful that my colleagues and I were able to help make this possible, and I am hopeful that with federal disaster aid and additional resources our state will be able to recover much faster.”
This federal disaster declaration provides funding under the Individual Assistance program, which allows individuals impacted by the disaster to seek reimbursement for necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of assistance. Eligible expenses include rental assistance, home repair, home replacement, and lodging, among other expenses.
In addition to visiting the local FEMA recovery center near the Mercer Mall, residents also can apply for federal assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
In neighboring Virginia, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission has awarded Friends of Southwest Virginia a $1.3 million grant to support an assessment of damage to outdoor recreation assets resulting from Hurricane Helene.
“This ARC grant for $1,300,000 helps Friends of Southwest Virginia hire an engineering firm to conduct a thorough assessment of Helene-related damages to outdoor recreation assets in Southwest Virginia,” Griffith said.
Griffith said major assets in Southwest Virginia were damaged by the storm, including the Virginia Creeper Trail, Clinch and New River boat ramps and access points, and multiple other trailheads, bridges, trestles, campgrounds and parks.