WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), along with U.S. Representatives Carol Miller (R-W.Va.-01) and Riley Moore (R-W.Va.-02) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Regional Administrator Lilian Hutchinson in support of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s request for a major disaster declaration for West Virginia as a result of the recent severe weather events. 


“We applaud the tireless dedication of our State and local first responders, as well as the invaluable contributions of our neighbors and volunteers. Nevertheless, the demand for aid remains substantial, and we urge you to do everything in your power to make sure that our communities have the federal support they need to rebuild and recover,” the delegation wrote.

Read the full letter below or by clicking HERE.

Dear President Trump and Acting Regional Administrator Hutchinson,

As members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, we write in support of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of West Virginia following recent severe weather events.

Severe storms moved through our State causing widespread damage. Heavy rains, straight- line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides caused damage in 13 counties throughout central and southern West Virginia beginning on February 15, 2025.

To access federal disaster aid, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey has made a request for a major disaster declaration for the State of West Virginia, submitted on February 17, 2025, under the provisions of Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5208 (Stafford Act).

We respectfully ask that you carefully review the submission that requests assistance from the FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) Program and Public Assistance (PA) Program for Boone, Cabell, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties. Additionally, assistance from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has been requested statewide.

We applaud the tireless dedication of our State and local first responders, as well as the invaluable contributions of our neighbors and volunteers. Nevertheless, the demand for aid remains substantial, and we urge you to do everything in your power to make sure that our communities have the federal support they need to rebuild and recover. Therefore, we kindly request that you thoroughly consider the State of West Virginia's request for a major disaster declaration to address our communities’ recovery needs.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance in this effort.

 

Sincerely,

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