FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2026
CONTACT:
Dana Kuhnline, 513-601-9854, [email protected]
APPALACHIA – The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition is hosting a webinar that will focus on the overlooked challenges of disaster recovery. Expert presenters will discuss the devastation of the 2016 West Virginia flood, which damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, claimed nearly two dozen lives, and highlighted the state’s uneven investment in infrastructure and disaster readiness.
During the event, survivors of the flood will share their stories, and experts will discuss the research, policy, and funding needs that must be met to prevent a repeat of 2016. Many impacts of the devastation linger to this day and recovery is still ongoing.This webinar will focus on what often gets overlooked–the prolonged recovery challenges faced by communities and the lessons learned for building climate resilience in Appalachia.
The timing of this webinar coincides with Congressional action on these issues. A key barrier to recovery after floods is the slow disbursement of federal funding to support communities. Funds from the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program grant funds weren’t available to communities until 2018, and ten years later the state is just expending the last of the CDBG-DR grant funds it received following the 2016 floods. While FEMA provides immediate short-term relief, CDBG-DR funds are meant for long-term recovery and addressing needs that other programs don’t fully cover. Thankfully, just this week Congress is taking steps to authorize the CDBG-DR program for three years in an effort to expedite the pace at which impacted communities can access these funds, so future communities hopefully don’t have to experience the long wait for support that occurred in West Virginia.
WHO: The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition, headed by member organizations ReImagine Appalachia, West Virginia VOAD, Appalachian Voices, Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Catholic Charities West Virginia, and The National Wildlife Federation.
WHEN: Friday, June 26, at 12 pm ET.
WHERE: Virtual via Zoom.
REGISTRATION: https://secure.everyaction.com/9fBjIB9b9Euy2byq56Gtjg2?ms=advs