Nearly a decade after the deadly 2016 floods, West Virginia of
ficials are moving forward with a study to look at flood mitigation measures across the Kanawha River Basin.
Last month, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that the state will work with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on a
study that thoroughly examines flood risk management strategies across 20 West Virginia counties, most of which were impacted by the June 2016 floods.
Morrisey’s announcement comes nearly four years after the study was initially funded by the federal government.
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito requested the study in 2016, following the deadly flooding that swe
pt across the state and left 23 dead. Federal funding for the project was later secured in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
But these types of studies require the state and federal government to split the cost equally. And the state didn’t pu
t forward its $1.5 million share for the study until last month, indicated by Morrisey’s July announcement.
In addition to the money for the Kanawha River Basin study, the governor’s office also put $1.5 million toward the Upper Guyandotte Flood Study. That study will lo
ok at the flood risk and possible mitigation measures across Wyoming County and parts of Raleigh, which are especially vulnerable to flooding.
These two studies are the first major investments in several years b
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y state leaders to address the growing threat of flooding, underscoring the state’s slow progress in tackling this issue.
Securing the funding spanned two Governors’ administrations, according to Morrisey spokesperson Drew
Galang. He said after the Legislature allocated funds, Gov. Jim Justice’s administration worked on it and the Morrisey administration determined the final amount.
A spokesperson for Justice, who is now a U.S. senator, did not respond to questions.
West Virginia’s mountainous terrain and thousands of rivers and creeks — along with decades of strip mining and timbering — make the state especially vulnerable to flooding. This is likely to only get worse as climate change continues to increase the risk. And with an increasing frequency of floods, mitigation efforts are crucial to lessen the damage caused by them.