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Harrison County OKs initial FEMA steps and weighs repair options for flood‑damaged rail trail
Summary
Commissioners directed county staff and engineer Thrasher to start FEMA coordination after a briefing on rail‑trail flood damage. They discussed accepting a $30,000 alternate payout or pursuing engineered repairs that could yield larger federal reimbursement but require design and procurement work.
Harrison County commissioners on Sept. 25 approved staff taking the next steps to pursue federal assistance for repairs to flood‑damaged sections of the county rail trail.
County engineer Chad Spiller and a state FEMA official laid out two paths: accept a simplified alternate project (a lump‑sum approach) or produce an engineer’s in‑kind repair estimate, design the work, bid it and seek FEMA eligibility for higher reimbursement. Jason Means, state public assistance officer with the West Virginia Emergency Management Division, said FEMA will pay 75% of eligible costs under the program but that applicants must provide detailed, line‑item estimates and meet codes and standards for higher reimbursements.
Spiller described two types of damage on the trail: sections where a fence and bank washed out and areas where rail timbers and pilings were exposed and boards were lost. He recommended engineered repairs — such as gabion baskets — to build a durable solution. FEMA’s initial engineering estimate for a basic repair was roughly $30,000, Means said, but an in‑kind estimate produced by the county’s engineer could be substantially higher and change the federal share available.
Commissioners voiced concern about the uncertain funding balance the county would owe if it pursued full repairs and heard that the governor’s contingency fund could sometimes be used to cover the non‑federal cost share. After considering the tradeoffs, the commission voted to proceed with county staff and Thrasher working on an in‑kind estimate and to notify FEMA that the county is preparing the requested information, while also retaining the option to accept an alternate $30,000 payout if needed.
The immediate actions approved direct the county administrator to coordinate with the engineer and FEMA to produce the detailed estimate and, if appropriate, to move toward design and procurement steps; commissioners asked staff to keep FEMA informed if they need short extensions to assemble the required documentation. The county did not commit to a final repair method or dollar amount and left further procurement decisions to subsequent meetings.
