June 21, 2024

Manchin Statement Ahead Of The 8th Anniversary Of 2016 Flood In West Virginia

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) released the following statement ahead of the eighth anniversary of the 2016 flood that devastated communities across southern West Virginia and killed 23 West Virginians.

“Every June 23rd, our hearts are heavy with the memory of the precious lives lost in the floods that ravaged southern West Virginia eight years ago. Gayle and I continue to pray for the families whose lives were forever changed by the loss of a loved one. While I am proud to have secured over $256 million above and beyond normal federal disaster funding to rebuild and make our communities more resilient to extreme weather, no amount of funding can replace what was lost that day. In the aftermath of the flood, West Virginians showed our true colors by coming together—as only we can—to support one another. It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent such a strong, resilient state with amazing people who care for their communities and fellow West Virginians so deeply.”

In May of 2019, Senator Manchin secured $106 million for West Virginia for mitigation and resilience activities through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Senator Manchin heavily championed this provision that would ensure West Virginians received the essential resources they needed. In total, Senator Manchin has secured more than $256 million in HUD disaster response funding since the 2016 floods.

In August of 2023, Senator Manchin, country music artist and West Virginia native Brad Paisley, and other West Virginia officials participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Herbert Hoover High School, which was destroyed beyond repair in the 2016 flood.