Floods: Trump Not Responding to West Virginia's Suffering

Floods: Trump Not Responding to West Virginia’s Suffering

Maria Gunnoe

February 22, 2025

Floods: Trump Not Responding to West Virginia’s Suffering

West Virginia flooding, 2025 — Flooding in West Virginia.On top of the 3 inches of rain and 2 days of flooding, the region was hammered by 6-8 inches of snow and below-freezing temperatures for nearly a week. Photos on this page are from Facebook.

As I write this the people of West Virginia and Kentucky are suffering something terrible. The February 16th floods that hit Kentucky, wiped out Southern West Virginia.

This flooding left 3 people dead in McDowell County. One of which was a 2-year-old baby. My deepest heartfelt condolences to this family. No one should feel your pain. On top of the 3 inches of rain and 2 days of flooding, we were hammered by 6-8 inches of snow and below-freezing temperatures for nearly a week. Not only did people lose their homes and their communities but people lost all confidence in their government to help during times of catastrophic disasters. Yes, the state that voted 70% Republican is now being told NO FEMA FOR YOU!

On the 17th of February, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey requested a FEMA disaster declaration for 13 counties throughout the Southern part of West Virginia. The only thing between Kentucky and West Virginia is the Tug River. Both sides of it flooded. To date, there has been NO response from the Trump Administration. FEMA was granted for Kentucky the day after the storm came though. This same storm hit Southern West Virginia and left a heartbreaking path of destruction.

Our people are homeless and cold and devastated after days of doing all they can to simply survive in unimaginable conditions. Let me say too that this flooding is not something one just gets over. Buffalo Creek is proof that even the people who live through it struggle every time it rains.

I continue to hear “That’s what WV voted for” as if people deserve to suffer like this because they didn’t vote right. I will not become what I despise about the right wing. I will not be cruel to suffering people. I hold myself to a higher standard. I’ll help all our community members where I can and I won’t be checking voter registration. I’ll even help the ones that don’t like me. I’m also pretty sure that the 2-year-old never got the chance to vote. So please everyone stop acting like WV deserves this for voting wrong! If this was the case, Kentucky deserved it too and that’s just wrong-hearted and mean. No one deserves this.

With all of the cuts in federal programs, it seems that DOGE is eliminating FEMA disaster assistance for states beginning with WV! It wasn’t enough that the Trump administration killed the infrastructure bill that was going to help pay for clean drinking water for McDowell Co, WV. The Trump administration is now denying FEMA disaster aid to people who have lost EVERYTHING! How cruel can a president be to help people on one side of the Tug River and not the other?

West Virginia is sort of used to being ignored and often we’re fine with that. However, this level of neglect of presidential duties is not something we will tolerate. What about the people of WV sit on their gas and coal reserves that have built the same nation that has continuously looked down on us as subhumans with no value? What about our coal miners going on strike and not mine the coal that this country needs? West Virginians are known to rebel.

I think the message to the current administration is this. The people who voted for this are seeing what you show them. This administration is threatening EVERYTHING that sustains their lives. Many of these flood victims are coal miners and their families. Many are retired with black lung or silicosis. Most are simply not able to rebuild, even with help. They’ve broken their bodies for a country that doesn’t even appreciate them. The depth of this insult to our people is much more than you understand, I’m afraid.

In West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare cover retired miners and often their families for medical care costs and medications that help them stay alive. Social Security is their bread and butter. These families worked hard for this. They have risked life and limb to fuel this country for the past 150 years. SNAP feeds mostly impoverished children and elders who often don’t have food to make it through the month. LIEAP energy assistance helps pay outrageous winter bills that are far more costly than the national average. All of these programs are on pause or being threatened. You cannot take everything from people.

Disbanding FEMA during a disaster is heartless and cruel. Our emergency services and the Department of Highways must have the additional funding to help citizens rebuild and our citizens need to rebuild their lives after being completely devastated. People are suffering and they need the help promised to every citizen in this country. West Virginians need help now! That is not us asking for a favor. That is WV asking for what’s owed us.