Tazewell supervisors approve application for state flood-relief grant, authorize generators and monitoring beacons

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors voted March 20 to apply for a Department of Housing and Community Development urgent-need flood-relief grant and to seek funds to buy permanent generators, short-term rental assistance for displaced residents and additional river-monitoring beacons.

County officials told the board they asked the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to declare the February floods a cascading event tied to Hurricane Aleena to improve eligibility for disaster relief. The county reported evacuating 57 residents during the February storm; 27 used a state shelter for two evenings and 11 stayed three days. County staff said all evacuated residents had found temporary shelter by the end of the week following the storm.

Board members were briefed on local damage figures and a short-term relief plan. A county speaker reported that “77 homes [were] affected by the flood,” and listed additional counts in the same presentation — noting 63 homes had “moderate or minor” damage and 46 had “major” damage. That set of counts was not reconciled in the meeting record.

For the DHCD urgent-need grant — a $5,000,000 statewide, first-come/first-served program created after the February storm — county staff sought authority to apply for specific items: up to $267,000 to buy permanent generators for the Claypool Hill water and sewer plants and several lift stations; roughly $300,000 to provide short-term rental assistance; and $60,000 to purchase three additional river-monitoring beacons (about $20,000 each) and installation. County staff said one beacon already in operation helped with timing and situational awareness during the February event. The board approved the motion by voice vote.

County staff described the proposed rental-assistance model as a $500 monthly payment per household for three months, to be administered by the Department of Social Services. Staff acknowledged they do not have an existing, standing rental-assistance program and that the DHCD grant’s first-come/first-served timing complicates program design; the board approved applying for the amounts discussed and directed staff to return with program details.

The board also approved including river telemetry in the application; staff said ongoing costs for the additional beacons would be about $5,000 per beacon per year if the county accepts them.

Officials said they have requested a FEMA determination tying the February flooding to Hurricane Aleena to help secure additional federal disaster relief. The board directed staff to pursue the grant application and related program design with DSS and other partners.

The motion to apply for the DHCD urgent-need grant and the specified items carried by voice vote.