RICHMOND, VA – Following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin submitted a request on Friday, November 15, to President Biden, President-elect Trump and Congressional appropriators for $4.4 billion in federal support to aid Southwest Virginians and support recovery efforts following the damage to our farms, homes, local businesses, critical infrastructure and tourism assets. The requested funding would support the rebuilding and recovery efforts across 36 localities in Southwest Virginia. 

“While our Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding continues to work collaboratively with our federal, state, and local partners, the severity of the impacts in Southwest Virginia require accelerated federal support. Given the urgent need for action, I respectfully requested assistance from our federal partners to support Virginia's recovery needs as they work through the federal disaster supplemental funding. The resilience of Southwest Virginia and its residents is incredible, but we know more resources are required to fully rebuild our communities,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.  

Following the Governor’s numerous trips to assess the damage in Southwest Virginia, the Governor saw the need for additional support and established the Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding to ensure affected areas receive the necessary support.  

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership has conducted an economic impact analysis following Hurricane Helene and found direct and indirect economic impacts of more than $2.0 billion across the Southwest Virginia region. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, 310,000 Virginia residents were  without power and electric distribution infrastructure was severely damaged. In terms of transportation impact, 484 primary and secondary roads, as well as 118 bridges were closed. As of November 12, FEMA has had nearly 10,000 applications for Individual Assistance and almost 3,000 requests for inspection of damaged or destroyed homes. As of late October, nearly 3,700 farms had been impacted by the by the storm resulting in more than $630M in direct, and future financial impact to Virginia farmers and their communities.  

Additionally, on the Virginia Creeper Trail and other tourism-related attractions, the Governor’s letter requested assistance with rebuilding park infrastructure and revitalizing local tourism saying, “the Virginia Tourism Commission (VTC) projects substantial visitor spending loss this year. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34-mile rail-trail, 17 miles of which is federally owned. Tourism generated by the Creeper Trail (250,000 visitors per year) sustains the economies of multiple localities, including the communities of Abingdon and Damascus. 18 trestles have been lost (either destroyed or washed away) and extended sections of the trail itself no longer exist.” 

For Virginians looking for additional information regarding Hurricane Helene, please visit: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4831.