KERMIT, W.Va. — Some flood victims in Mingo County who are cleaning up mud and damaged property are worried that West Virginia hasn’t been declared a disaster by the president like nearby Kentucky has.
Leaders of the states are sure that the declaration will happen, but federal officials say that the process is still ongoing.
The historic flooding of the Tug River near Williamson and Kermit has made a big mess that people will have to clean up for months or even years.
Nick Webb from the National Weather Service found that there was a lot of trouble.
Webb said, “Some of our high water marks are eight, ten, and twelve feet high.” “This has a big effect, especially on people who lived along the Tug Fork.”
More than a week after the floods, people in Mingo County were still stacking personal items along the roads or putting trash in dumpsters on Tuesday.
For some, the wait for a disaster declaration or at least a sign of worry from the president was too long.
In a state where Donald Trump is the most popular candidate, a flooded river and what neighbors say was a clogged city drain can be frustrating, especially when people across the river in Kentucky have declared a disaster.
“I don’t believe he’s a president for the people.” He didn’t care about the people at all, said Dwight Justice, a worker who helped clean up. “Elon Musk and Putin are important to him.”
Cameron Hamilton, the interim head of FEMA, said that getting federal help can take a lot of time.
He said, “We are still working through that process.” “When you talk about big amounts of federal money, it does take a while, but we’re there to work together.” We really care about the people in West Virginia.
On Tuesday, a Homeland Security official from West Virginia told lawmakers that the state’s request for disaster aid was different because Kentucky was “overwhelmed” by the disaster and wanted FEMA to help them right away.
