MORGANTOWN — “Well, $2.9 million was the threshold we needed to hit. We’re at a total in excess of $6 million.”
MECCA 911 Director Jim Smith said the individual and public damage assessments following the July 29 flooding event more than doubled the estimated damage total needed to get the attention of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and ultimately, federal relief dollars.
Smith said those reports have been forwarded on to the state’s emergency management office, in Charleston, which will work with FEMA.
“We submitted 307 individual assessment damage reports. The individual would be for private citizens and local businesses. There were 33 public assistance damage assessment reports from the university, from MUB and from the town of Granville,” Smith said.
MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said the July storm caused a tremendous amount of damage to the utility’s infrastructure along Baird Street.
McNulty told MUB’s board of directors the utility was previously considering making a request for American Rescue Plan funds for upgrades in that area.
“We believe now it’s FEMA-eligible, because it’s in terrible shape,” he said. “We were there yesterday doing some demo work where concrete broke and was ready to fall into the actual line itself. It’s a terrible situation there.”
Information provided by MUB indicate the Baird Street work is estimated at $1,727,800.
Smith said there is no real timeline on when local officials will know whether a federal emergency declaration will be provided.
The deadline to submit damage reports was Aug. 11. He said getting those reports to Charleston was just the first step following the Monongalia County Commission’s state of emergency declaration on Aug. 4.
“Again, these are just preliminary assessments and if we were to be awarded a declaration, then FEMA would come in and do a more thorough assessment to ensure the proper amount of money is given,” Smith said.
In addition to the reports being provided to FEMA, McNulty said 87 claims have been filed with MUB’s insurance due to damage from the storm.
“But we’ve also informed those customers that it’s highly unlikely that any of those claims would be covered by our insurance because it was a flood event, and not a failure of MUB’s system,” McNulty said.
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