President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Virginia.
The declaration approved Wednesday morning will make federal assistance available to individuals. An earlier emergency declaration made federal assistance available to state and local governments and some designated nonprofits.
The major disaster declaration covers Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe counties, as well as the city of Galax.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.
“This is the most significant disaster in the Commonwealth since 2011, and due to the severity and magnitude of the damages, we are thankful that Virginia was able to get this expedited disaster declaration so that we can continue this long process of recovery,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement.
Power restoration continues
Work to restore power in Southwest Virginia is taking longer than originally forecast.
Appalachian Power says it still has more than 52,000 customers out. About 40,000 of them are in Virginia. The utility now says restoration in the hardest hit areas of Roanoke, Wytheville, Woodlawn, Gate City, Bluefield and Glade Spring won't be complete until late Thursday night. Some isolated outages might take even longer.
The company says it has 7,000 employees and contractors working on restoration.
Boil notices continue in Montgomery County and Galax
A boil water notice in Montgomery County continues and could last into the weekend.
Water treatment levels have stabilized at the New River Valley Regional Water Authority, according to an update from Montgomery County. But lines must be flushed and several rounds of testing will be required to verify the water is safe for consumption.
The county says customers, including those in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and at Virginia Tech, should continue to boil any tap water used for cooking or drinking. Customers should make preparations to continue boiling through the weekend.
A boil notice also continues in Galax. In a statement, the city says it is waiting on additional test results before lifting the notice. That could happen on Thursday or Friday. Bottled water is being distributed at the Parks & Rec building on South Main Street on Wednesday from 8am to 6pm.
