West Virginia seeks expedited federal disaster declaration after deadly July flooding
Gov. Patrick Morrisey has requested an expedited federal major-disaster declaration for seven West Virginia counties after catastrophic flooding that began July 21, 2026.
The request, made to President Donald Trump and reported July 25, also seeks statewide hazard-mitigation assistance. It is a request for federal action, not an approved declaration: the supplied reporting does not establish that the declaration had been granted as of Aug. 2.
The governor’s office described the flooding as catastrophic. The specific seven counties covered by the request were not identified in the accessible reporting supplied for this article.
Request follows large emergency response
State officials said the flood response involved thousands of state employees, National Guard personnel, first responders, volunteers and local officials. Earlier reporting documented flash flooding that inundated homes and businesses, along with National Guard deployment and helicopter operations.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources conducted 85 rescues during the early response, according to Associated Press reporting published July 22. At that point, three shelters were housing more than 100 residents.
Those rescue and shelter figures reflect conditions reported in the initial phase of the emergency. The supplied material does not provide a later statewide total for damaged property, displaced people or casualties, and it does not connect statewide impacts to the seven counties in the federal request.
Record water level near Buckhannon
Floodwaters also set a record at the Sand Run gauge near Buckhannon, exceeding the previous high-water mark associated with the November 1985 flood.
That 1985 flood killed 47 people statewide, according to the Associated Press report. The comparison establishes that the Sand Run reading surpassed a historic benchmark, but it does not by itself show that the 2026 flooding had the same statewide reach or consequences as the earlier disaster.
What is being requested
Morrisey’s request has two parts: a major-disaster declaration for seven counties and hazard-mitigation assistance on a statewide basis. If approved, the declaration would unlock federal recovery assistance for the affected counties and statewide hazard-mitigation funding.
The request comes after days of emergency operations that included rescues, shelters, National Guard activity and helicopter operations. It places the next formal decision with federal officials, who could approve, deny or otherwise act on the state’s request.
No federal action deadline was included in the supplied reporting. The available records also do not establish a decision by Aug. 2, so the status of federal assistance should not be treated as settled.
For residents in the affected areas, the federal request is distinct from the emergency response already underway. Rescue and shelter operations were reported during the initial flooding, while the major-disaster request concerns potential recovery assistance and mitigation support after the disaster.