Press Releases

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded three Hurricane Helene-related grants to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The grants will help the Washington County Service Authority repair and replace waterline that serves Washington County and the Town of Damascus, Virginia. The grants are as follows:

 

$3,830,750.25 – “Route 58/91 to Straight Branch Phase 1”

 

$1,015,542.63 – “Taylors Valley to Reservation Spring Phase 2”

 

$1,096,216.77 – “Straight Branch to Taylors Valley Phase 3”

 

Total: $5,942,509.65

 

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

 

“The Town of Damascus was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. The damage was so devastating that even Vice President JD Vance revisited Damascus with Governor Youngkin as one of his first official public appearances after being sworn into office.

 

“These grants for more than $5.9 million help Damascus replace the entire 36,319 feet of damaged waterline impacted by Helene.

 

“I will continue to advocate for Southwest Virginia as our communities seek federal assistance and resources for their recovery efforts.”

 

BACKGROUND

 

FEMA funds are obligated to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth will be responsible for providing the funds to the sub-recipients.

 

Funds from these grants will help secure contracts to furnish and install iron pipe as well as support repair design.

 

In January, Rep. Griffith announced $46.67 million in Helene relief to Virginia from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

 

This funding is supported by the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2025. Congressman Griffith voted in support of this legislation in December of 2024.

 

In late September, the Ninth District faced one of the most catastrophic natural events in recent memory. Storm conditions from Hurricane Helene battered Southwest and Southside Virginia, destroying houses and causing thousands of people to lose power. Rainfall exceeded 12 inches in some areas and with the water from North Carolina flowing north, it created an historic flood crest on the New River, from Grayson to Giles at the West Virginia border.

 

Immediately, Rep. Griffith began surveying and assessing storm damage in Helene’s aftermath. On the day after the storm, Rep. Griffith traveled to Damascus in Washington County, along with Governor Youngkin, to thank our first responders and to get a first-hand look at the damage there. Immediately following that, Rep. Griffith went to Independence in Grayson County to assess damage.

 

Over the course of the next few days and weeks, Rep. Griffith made additional visits to Independence, Fries, Radford, Giles County, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Lee County and Russell County, among others.

 

Rep. Griffith penned a letter, alongside U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, supporting Governor Youngkin’s request for President Biden to approve Virginia’s Federal Emergency Declaration. After President Biden’s approval, the two U.S. Senators and Rep. Griffith moved by writing President Biden, requesting his support of Governor Youngkin’s expedited Major Disaster Declaration. This attempt was also successful.

 

Nearly every locality in Virginia’s Ninth District has been approved for either individual assistance or public assistance. Rep. Griffith visited the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center and met with National FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who provided updates on recovery efforts throughout Southwest Virginia. 

 

Rep. Griffith was an original co-sponsor of two bills that were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 118^th Congress.

 

The Disaster Recovery and Resilience Act would have cut bureaucratic red tape and expedite the mobilization of disaster recovery resources to an area affected by a “major disaster” as declared by the President of the United States. 

 

The Helene Recovery Support Act would have authorized the delivery of $15 billion to provide additional resources for disaster relief and help small businesses in their recovery efforts. 

 

Rep. Griffith joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) send an immediate supplemental appropriation request to Congress to support communities that were devastated after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

 

 

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