Just days after the Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down Virginia’s request for earthquake relief aid, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Monday he is asking the federal government for help with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee.
If approved, homeowners and small businesses in Fairfax and Prince William counties would be eligible for federal grants and low-interest loans to help pay for the damage.
Lee was the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit Virginia in 2011, following tornadoes, a rare 5.8-magnitude earthquake and Tropical Storm Irene.
McDonnell’s administration opted not to ask for assistance after Irene hit the East Coast. Flooding from Lee was significantly more destructive. His office estimates more than 500 people in Prince William County were displaced.
FEMA on Friday denied funding to help with the earthquake that hit Virginia in August. McDonnell is appealing the decision. The agency also did not approve aid in the aftermath of the tornadoes.
