The U.S. Department of Labor has allocated $1 million in grant funding to aid West Virginia residents impacted by severe storms in February 2025. The storms, which began on February 15, led to floods, landslides, and mudslides across southern and central parts of the state. These events caused significant damage to homes, businesses, roadways, parks, and other public areas. Debris from flooding blocked culverts and made many areas unusable and unsafe.
In response to the situation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration for West Virginia. This allowed the state to seek federal assistance for recovery efforts in several counties: Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming.
The Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant will enable Workforce West Virginia to provide temporary jobs focused on cleanup and recovery operations. Additionally, employment and training services will be offered to eligible participants within the affected communities.
These grants are supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. They offer financial resources to states or local boards facing workforce needs that surpass available resources due to significant economic disruptions.
