WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) US President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the state of Virginia that will help recovery efforts for residents affected by a severe winter storm earlier this year, the White House announced on Monday.
"Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement commonwealth, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms from February 11 to February 13, 2021," the White House said.
Last winter, a severe storm blocked many of the Virginia's roadways and left hundreds of thousands of residents without power. The declaration enables local governments and private nonprofit organizations to receive federal funding in their efforts to repair and replace infrastructure damaged by the storm.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which directs many of the federal disaster relief programs, placed Kevin Snyder in charge of the federal recovery operations in Virginia.
