RICHLANDS, Va. -With things now mostly dried up, Tazewell County residents are beginning to get a more accurate picture of the damage done. One part of the county hit particularly hard: the Town of Richlands.
Police Chief Ron Holt tells us, they’re seeing around 150 structures in the town with flood damage, with about a third of those having major impact. Local responders have been working with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) to assess the damage, however there may be homes that they are unaware of that were impacted as well.
This is why Chief Holt says it’s “critical” for residents to fill out VDEM damage assessment surveys. He says this could not only help with getting you assistance, but could determine if the county and entire region qualifies for a major disaster declaration, meaning that you can help both you and your neighbors rebuild by simply taking a survey.
“Filling out the forms won’t only help the homeowner as an individual get assistance, but what it will do is it will help… determine if we are going to be qualified for a major disaster declaration, and that’s going to be crucial in money directly to the homeowners and those who have been impacted, so we’re trying to reach that amount that will help us with that major disaster declaration, and having the best information possible will help those that have to make that determination,” says Chief Holt.
Those surveys can be found on the Tazewell County and Richlands Police Department Facebook pages. Chief Holt says if you don’t have a smart device, you should call their flood hotline (276-988-5366) or non-emergency Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office phone number (276-988-0902) for help filling it out.
Even if you’re not a Tazewell County resident, with flood waters impacting much of our region, your home county likely has a survey available as well.
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