FEMA meets the public in Upshur

Officials: $4.7 million has been provided in flood aid to Buckhannon alone

BRUSHY FORK -- Upshur County residents were able to ask questions of local and federal officials – including some from FEMA – regarding flood recovery during an open house public meeting.

The City of Buckhannon and the Upshur County Commission held the meeting to inform residents about the flood recovery process, such as filing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and to answer questions from residents. The meeting took place at the Event Center in Brushy Fork.

At the meeting’s start, Buckhannon City Recorder Randy Sanders explained officials wanted to get FEMA representatives and public officials together because there are opportunities for Upshur County residents to file for help. Sanders also noted that officials were aware people had questions and there have been instances of misinformation regarding flood aid.

Several local, county and federal officials sat on an expert panel for the meeting, including Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner, Upshur County Commission President Kristie Tenney, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Director Dr. Matthew Blackwood, Small Business Administration Public Relations Officer Lane Davis and HomeOwnership Center Executive Director Kate Somers.

In attendance on behalf of FEMA were Federal Coordinating Officer Mark O’Hanlon, Individual Assistance Branch Director John Donahue and Emergency Manager for FEMA Region 3 Hunter Roberts.

“One of the most important things I need to share tonight is that residents in Upshur County have until Oct. 3 to apply with FEMA for financial support,” O’Hanlon told the crowd. “That gives us about two weeks left, just a little over two weeks, but that two weeks is going to go real fast. So please encourage your friends and neighbors… we want to help everybody we absolutely can, but unless people apply, we cannot help them.”

O’Hanlon also extended FEMA’s condolences to the families affected by the flood and to those who died during the flooding.

Donahue explained the four ways to apply for FEMA aid. One way is the Disaster Recovery Center, located on the second floor of the Upshur County Development Authority at 21 East Main Street in Buckhannon. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Residents can also file by calling FEMA’s toll free number at 1-800-621-3362, Donahue said. Another way to register for aid is online at disasterassistance.gov, or to use the FEMA mobile app that can be found in the App Store. Roberts added that residents can check on flood insurance rates for their home and get a quote at floodsmart.gov.

Donahue noted that FEMA has already given out $4.7 million in aid to Buckhannon alone. The entirety of Upshur County has received $4.9 million in aid so far, with approximately 600 applications.

During the more than two-hour meeting, officials also spoke about local organizations that can offer assistance to those affected by the flood, including Mountain Community Action Partnership of West Virginia (Mountain CAP), the Appalachian Mutual Aid Collective and the Upshur Parish House.

One written question that officials got from residents stated, “I don’t want to take FEMA funds because other people in the community got hit harder than I did, and would this stop others from getting funds if I apply?”

O’Hanlon said that one thing FEMA has learned about West Virginians is that they tend to care about other people more than they worry about themselves. He assured the crowd that FEMA does have “enough funds to take care of everybody’s needs.”

“Once you apply and once we understand what you need to help with your recovery, we have the funds available to help everybody,” O’Hanlon said. “…What I try to convey is even the strongest people need a little bit of help sometimes, so we can be that little bit of help. We can be a leg-up to your recovery and to your better tomorrow. So for folks who like to handle their own business, I respect that, but let us be part of your whole solution because we can also meet your need, whatever that might be. A little as you might need or as much as you might need, but we have enough to cover everybody’s needs here in West Virginia.”

A video recording of the Sept. 15 public meeting can be found on the Upshur County Commission’s social media page.