Buchanan County, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Small Business Administration to Conduct Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments
This update was published by
Published: July 27, 2022
RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) announced today that they have requested a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on behalf of Buchanan County. This request was made based on data collected during the initial damage assessments that took place days after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Buchanan County, along with power outages and impacts to roads and other infrastructure on Tuesday, July 12.
Buchanan County sustained severe damages to homes, businesses, and other infrastructure during the event and incurred significant costs for response and recovery operations. As a result of these damages and costs, the commonwealth has requested Individual Assistance and Public Assistance Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments to be conducted jointly with FEMA. These assessments will help to determine the extent of the disaster and the impact on individuals and public facilities. From this data, the commonwealth will determine if the criteria is met for a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
The joint PDA for individual assistance will begin today, Wednesday, July 27, and the joint PDA for public assistance will begin tomorrow, Thursday, July 28 and end Friday, July 29. These PDAs do not imply or guarantee federal assistance, but it is a required step in the request process. For more information on the damage assessment process, please visit How a Disaster Gets Declared | FEMA.gov
###
For more information, please contact us at PIO@vdem.virginia.gov
Agency Contact
Lauren Opett
Director of Communications and Chief Agency Spokesperson