ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – After Hurricane Helene, The George and Jefferson National Forests Supervisor parts of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail on Mount Rogers National Scenic Area were closed due to the storm damage.
This section of the trail has been closed since October 2, 2024, and will now be reopened from Elk Garden Trailhead to the Virginia Tennessee line. The trail has not returned to conditions before Helene; however, major blowdowns have been removed and treadway issues have been addressed.
Since Helene, in early October over 10,520 Virginia residents registered for FEMA assistance. FEMA has approved over $12.9 million to aid individuals and households through their Individual Assistance Program.
Disaster Assistance Teams have been to homes walking door-to-door to over 35,000 homes. The Commonwealth and FEMA also opened up 10 Disaster Recovery Centers throughout southwest Virginia, which served over 4,00 individuals who applied for assistance or additional help.
FEMA’s Enhanced Applicant Services staff will continue to check in on residents who may have been denied assistance due to missing or incomplete information. Over 2,200 calls have been made to applicants and have helped residents in Virginia with an additional $2.2 million in assistance.
“We are in the early stages of this long-term recovery process following the impacts of Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia,” said VDEM State Coordinator Shawn Talmadge. “The collaboration between VDEM, FEMA, other state agencies, non-profits, businesses, and the community will continue on the ground supporting those affected by Helene.”
There have also been events such as the Agriculture Recovery Resource Days for producers that hit the hardest hosted by Virginia, USDA, and FEMA.
There will be increased federal support for debris removal in Virginia, which was announced on Sunday, December 8 by President Biden. The federal government will pay for 100% of the eligible debris removal cost for 120 days of the commonwealth’s choosing, which has to be within six months of Helene’s impact.
Debris removal is continued by FEMA and state and federal agencies in streams and creeks especially Claytor Lake and South Holston Lake areas to restore wildlife habitats, recreation spaces, and sites of economic growth.
For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page, fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.