State and Local Governments in Appalachia Need More Assistance to Combat Flood Risks

By Brendan Muckian-Bates

This blog is part of a series detailing the flood resilience policy roadmap for Appalachia, released by ReImagine Appalachia, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center and the National Wildlife Federation

Jenkins, Kentucky is a fairly small town. Mayor Todd DePriest knows most of the approximately 1,800 residents directly, and they know him. When torrential rainfall began in late July 2022, DePriest got in his Jeep and drove to the main bridge into Jenkins to survey the rising waters. The bridge itself, however, had already flooded. DePriest began calling everyone he could, telling them to leave or prepare for the worst. He called emergency responders and city workers, telling them to prepare to assist. Letcher County, where the town of Jenkins is located, was one of the hardest hit from those 2022 floods: five residents were killed, and it’s estimated it will take up to six years to recover fully.

When floods strike, local governments are the first responders. Mayors, floodplain managers, and emergency response services leap into action to protect residents and property, and to coordinate with state and federal officials.

If a disaster is significant enough, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies are activated to provide assistance, which is critical for communities in need. For small, economically-disadvantaged communities, however, it is often difficult to access. This covers most of Appalachia: about 43 percent of Appalachian counties are considered economically distressed or at-risk, with a majority of these counties clustered in predominantly rural areas of southern West Virginia, east Kentucky, and southeast Ohio. This statistic has remained basically unchanged for two decades. 

Earlier this year, NWF, Reimagine Appalachia, and Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center (ACLC) surveyed 26 local elected officials and floodplain managers in the region to identify their primary concerns surrounding flooding disasters in their communities. Over half of respondents stated that their community has been flooded, while nearly a quarter stated that a nearby community was flooded or that flooding is a concern. 

Respondents also had experience with accessing federal aid. When asked what federal policies they would like to see changed, more than half stated that they would like to see funds easier to access and understand, and nearly 40 percent stated that they wanted improved coordination post-disaster.

NWF, ACLC, and ReImagine Appalachia used this survey to inform a flood resilience policy roadmap for Appalachia. The platform highlights the unique flooding challenges the entire region faces, and details four sets of policy recommendations to improve flood resilience and recovery for Appalachia. Recommendations related to boosting local capacity to respond to and recover from floods include: 

• Provide additional federal recovery funds to economically disadvantaged communities. Following a federally-declared disaster declaration, FEMA may provide Public Assistance (PA) funds to aid local and state governments. However, PA is granted as a reimbursement for costs local governments already incur (for things like debris removal, and public infrastructure repairs), and only a certain percentage of those local costs is eligible for reimbursement. Structuring PA funds differently for disadvantaged communities – making funding available once need is established, and project quotes are obtained – would better support communities in need. 
• Increase funding for popular and oversubscribed FEMA programs, such as Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA). These are invaluable lifelines to state and local governments seeking to develop community resilience infrastructure. However, both receive more applicants than available funds, and program requirements are often challenging for cash-strapped communities. 
• Congress should pass the Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience (CLEAR) Act. The CLEAR Act would provide federal funding for states to establish or maintain a resilience office.
• Increase the number of trained emergency managers. Many local floodplain managers are overstretched and unable to manage massive flood recovery efforts as well as planning for long-term resilience. FEMA has a program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, which provides grants to local governments to hire and retain firefighters. A similar program that provides grants to local municipalities and counties to increase emergency management staffing could be a boon to continued local resilience efforts.
  

Learn more about the flood resilience policy roadmap for Appalachia here. 

Join a webinar with NWF, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, and ReImagine Appalachia to learn more about our coalition’s flood resilience priorities for Appalachia on December 12 from 12-1 p.m. ET. Register here.