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Board extends emergency order, hears multimillion‑dollar storm damage estimates and considers farmer relief
Summary
Tazewell supervisors extended the local state of emergency to Jan. 10, 2025 to support FEMA reimbursements and heard staff estimates of roughly $3.8M in residential flood damage, $1.2M in wind damage, and about $11M in agricultural damage; staff proposed immediate, modest farmer assistance and to return with program details.
The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the local state of emergency related to Hurricane Helene through Jan. 10, 2025 to help secure reimbursements from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and to allow accelerated procurement rules for storm recovery work.
Mister Young (county official) told the board there have been 1,677 FEMA claims filed by residents. "Based on those claims and our local assessments, we believe residential flood damage is about $3,800,000 in aggregate," Young said, and he added county records indicate roughly $1,200,000 in wind damage reported to FEMA. He also estimated about $11,000,000 in agricultural damage, with an estimated $8,000,000 of that in timber losses.
Young and other supervisors discussed options for short‑term farmer relief. Staff presented a simple, easy‑to‑administer idea — reimbursement for chainsaw purchase or repair verified by receipt through Soil and Water — and suggested budget options ranging from a small program (e.g., $20,000) up to $50,000 if the board wanted broader coverage. The board agreed to invite Extension Office staff to a January meeting to develop criteria and asked staff to return with a program design.
Board members also thanked county staff for public outreach on FEMA filing deadlines; Young said FEMA accepted online claims through the prior day. The extension of the emergency declaration passed on voice vote.
No formal grant award or direct cash distributions were made at the meeting; staff framed the chainsaw/repair proposal as an administrative relief option to be refined in January.
