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If Federal Emergency Management Agency Coordinating Officer Jeff Jones is any judge, West Virginia has stepped up its game considerably when it comes to flood mitigation and resiliency. Jones spoke to WV MetroNews during this Flood Resiliency Week, and applauded state officials who have made flood mitigation projects a priority.
He called those at the state Emergency Management Division true advocates for investment in the projects. Between October 2022 and 2023, that advocacy resulted in $1.5 million invested.
Jones told MetroNews he believed that had made a difference.
"That is how we have done it in this state and that has spread, West Virginia was one of the pioneering states with this approach by FEMA, and so it's spreading across and others are seeing the advantages," he said.
MetroNews reported one study showed the Mountain State experienced 1,600 floods from 2010 to 2021. Any public official who chose NOT to work harder to be prepared for those emergencies would be neglecting his or her duty. But if the work done by our Emergency Management Division has warranted such attention from Jones and FEMA, they are to be commended for their efforts. Certainly, the attention West Virginia gets from the federal government regarding the way it handles flooding (and its aftermath) has not always been so positive.
Now it seems that, at least when it comes to mitigation and resiliency, FEMA officials are encouraged by their partnership with West Virginia.
"It's the total of being prepared at your local level, all the way to the state level in investing in mitigation for infrastructure to help prevent future damages," Jones told MetroNews.
It's nice to know that, rather than scaring them off, Mountain State officials have renewed FEMA's willingness to work with us on those efforts.