UPDATE – Gov. Patrick Morrisey talks to local officials and FEMA workers at the Disaster Recovery Center in Triadelphia on Wednesday, lauding them for their work. -- Derek Redd

TRIADELPHIA – Gov. Patrick Morrisey praised the work already done at FEMA centers in Ohio and Marion counties, as well as the team behind it, while reiterating that the path to recovery is still in its early stages.

Morrisey toured the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Triadelphia Community Center on Wednesday morning, one of two FEMA centers in that area of Ohio County. A Disaster Survivor Center is set up at the Valley Grove Community Center. Both towns, as well as parts of the Elm Grove and Woodsdale areas of Wheeling, suffered extensive damage in the June 14 floods. Dozens of homes were lost and nine people were killed.

The disaster survivor center opened in Valley Grove on July 28, while the disaster recovery center opened in Triadelphia on July 29.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to say how grateful I am for the partnerships that we’ve had on the local level, on the county level, the state and federal government, everyone coming together and doing terrific things to help people who are in need,” Morrisey said.

FEMA Media Relations Specialist Kim Fuller said there has been a steady stream of people at the Ohio County sites seeking help from FEMA professionals. Those FEMA workers are able to help affected residents through the application process, as well as assist in handling rejection notices.

Denial letters may come to residents due to something small, like a missing address or incomplete bank account number on a form. If a full denial letter is sent, FEMA workers can help guide the residents through the appeal process.

It can help to visit the FEMA centers, Fuller said, because in hearing the residents’ stories, they might stumble upon a service for which those residents are eligible that they didn’t realize.

Valley Grove Chad Kleeh said FEMA’s arrival in Ohio County has been the relief flood-affected residents have needed. In the wait between the floods and the federal disaster declaration signed July 23, many in the community became nervous that federal aid wouldn’t come.

“Just their presence, their being here, it’s given more people a little hope,” Kleeh said. “People are sending pictures of FEMA trucks outside the community building and there’s a lot more positivity.”

Kleeh also lauded the FEMA workers for the help they’ve been able to provide his residents in such a short time.

“They’ve tried to fill out stuff online, but once they came down and actually talked to somebody, they said, ‘This is more information than I’ve gotten in three weeks,'” he said.

“These people know what they’re doing,” Kleeh added. “They’re trained for it and they can answer questions right off the bat.”

Morrisey and FEMA officials urged flood-affected residents to take advantage of all the services being provided, including recent additions like disaster unemployment assistance and clean and sanitize assistance, which provides $300 to qualifying residents for cleaning product purchases. They said to not wait until the end of FEMA’s Sept. 22 deadline to file.

“The sooner you put in your application, the sooner something goes into your bank account,” Fuller said.

Morrisey and Ohio County Emergency Management Director Lou Vargo added that flood debris pickup will happen every Friday through Aug. 29. Officials are driving through the area looking for neighborhoods with lots of debris, Vargo said. It may not be the next Friday that a resident’s debris gets picked up, but it will happen by Aug. 29.

Morrisey said that, while much has been done, there is still much yet to happen. He said that, by the end of August, all public roads damaged in the floods should be repaired. The state also is waiting to hear about additional requests for federal relief and amendments to other requests that already have been filed.

“I’m grateful,” Morrisey said. “It’s a terrific team. Driving through Triadelphia, you can see more progress made every day. That doesn’t mean we’re done.

“We’re going to keep going and we’re going to keep coming up here to make sure we have that full recovery. I know that’s going to take some time, but that’s certainly the goal.”