Virginia seeks disaster declaration after extreme rainfall

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s governor is asking for federal assistance to help Buchanan County recover from extreme rainfall that destroyed homes and caused an estimated $13.8 million in damage to public infrastructure in August.

According to a news release, Gov. Ralph Northam requested Thursday that President Joe Biden approve federal assistance through a major disaster declaration to help the county and residents recover after a storm dumped 8 to 10 inches of rain in the Hurley area, causing flash flooding and landslides.

Virginia officials say in addition to the damage to infrastructure, such as roads and water lines, assessments found 31 homes were destroyed, 27 sustained major damage, and eight had minor damage from this extreme rainfall event.

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