On June 24, the 10th anniversary of the deadly floods that ravaged our communities, we talked about how little the state has done to fund the State Resiliency and Flood Protection Plan Act, which became law in 2017.

Since this past June, more devastating floods have ravaged parts of our state.

Now, with a total of $5 million in the fund, our federal government is looking to shift more fiscal responsibility to our state.

Sadly, this isn't just a local issue- we should have some input about where our tax dollars are going, and our representatives are not voting in our best interests.

A proposal in 2025 by Sean Hornbuckle to add $50 million to the fund was soundly rejected by the House of Delegates, with our current delegates, Jeff Campbell and Ray Canterbury, voting against it.

"On July 21, 2026, a deluge of rain hit Lewis and Upshur counties, destroying hundreds of homes, washing out streets and bridges and leaving people stranded inside a local shopping center.

Two weeks later, President Donald Trump declared a federal disaster, unlocking at least $6 million to help Lewis, Upshur, Ritchie and Pleasant counties rebuild.

Over the last two years, Presidents Joe Biden and Trump have declared three other disasters in West Virginia, sending around $100 million to aid recovery from floods and storms across the state.

But the federal response to these frequent flooding disasters in West Virginia could change.

Washington is considering a disaster system that asks states to shoulder more of the costs and responsibilities for recovery. West Virginia has more than $1 billion in the bank, but has devoted very little to dedicated flood resilience. As federal policy shifts, the consequences of those state choices could increasingly fall on the small communities least able to absorb them."