In response to the flash flood emergency issued Monday morning, Arlington County, Virginia, Manager Mark Schwartz signed a declaration of local emergency.
The County Board will vote to formalize the declaration at their regular meeting on Saturday. This sets the county up to request reimbursement for storm-related costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The same destruction suffered in Arlington County was also felt in the City of Alexandria. During Monday’s storms, Alexandria received a month’s worth of rain in just one hour.
In response to the emergency, residents of Alexandria and Arlington County have the chance to submit damage reports.
Owners are responsible for repairs on their property, but the data can be used to pursue disaster aid from the federal government.
Arlington County residents are asked to submit damage reports online by Friday, July 12. Alexandria residents can submit damage reports online on the same deadline.
“This emergency declaration is a key step in activating recovery assistance for our community,” Aaron Miller, Arlington County’s director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management, said in a statement.
“We continue to work closely with state and regional partners, including the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, on the process of determining our community’s eligibility for disaster assistance,” Miller said.
Arlington County’s state of emergency remains in effect until further notice.
Homes, businesses, public facilities and roads sustained considerable damage, the extent of which remains unclear, Alexandria city officials said in a Wednesday news release.
Neighboring Fairfax County has a disaster damage database where residents can report damage.
