On July 27, 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request for federal disaster assistance towards 62 localities’ response to the June 29-30 derecho wind storm and the June 30-July 1 hail and thunderstorms. On July 20, 2012, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell requested federal disaster assistance for reimbursement to localities and for hazard mitigation in the wake of these severe weather events, which resulted in 15 deaths in the Commonwealth, knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of customers, damaged properties, blocked roads, affected water systems, and affected communications systems. The request was to the Public Assistance Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reimbursement for public storm-response costs in the following localities: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Greene, Halifax, Highland, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Tazewell and Warren and the cities of Bedford, Charlottesville, Covington, Danville, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas Park, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton and Winchester. Other localities may be added to the request as additional damage assessment information is reported.
Sources: FEMA approves Governor McDonnell’s request for federal disaster assistance in the wake of June 29-July 1 storms; Governor McDonnell Requests Federal Disaster Assistance for June 29-July 1 storms, Virginia Governor’s Office News Release, 7/23/12
