US Department of Labor awards $468K to continue cleanup, recovery efforts in 9 West Virginia counties after severe storms in 2021

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an incremental award of $468,206 to WorkForce West Virginia to enable the state to continue to provide temporary jobs for cleanup and recovery services in nine counties affected by severe storms in February and March 2021.  

Two back-to-back winter systems hit the state and left ice-covered roads, scores of downed trees and tens of thousands of people without power. Heavy rain fell two weeks later on collected snow, remaining ice and saturated ground, leading to widespread flooding in Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam and Wayne counties.

On Aug. 9, 2021, the department announced the award of a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $3,050,769 – with an initial award of $1,016,923 – to employ people in the affected areas to remove debris from streams, clear downed trees and perform other clean-up work. Later, on Dec. 12, 2022, the department awarded an additional increment of $614,437 to continue the project.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the latest funding from the National Dislocated  Worker Grant will support jobs at 26 remaining worksites in the southwestern portion of West Virginia. With today’s announcement, the total awarded for the project is $2,099,566.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated workers programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.