The federal government has approved $4.5 million in expedited disaster assistance for two West Virginia counties hit by deadly flooding, leaving five other counties in the state's request still under review. [1]
The approval, announced August 3 by Governor Patrick Morrisey, covers Lewis and Upshur counties. [1] Two people died in the flooding, both in Upshur County. [1]
The number that defines the story is the ratio: the state asked for help across seven counties, and two of them got it. The other five remain pending, which means residents there have no confirmed federal money yet to clear debris, repair infrastructure or rebuild. [1]
Expedited assistance is meant to move faster than the standard disaster-declaration process, releasing funds before a full damage assessment is complete. That speed reached Lewis and Upshur first. Whether it reaches the remaining five, and how quickly, is the open question for the households still waiting. [1]
