Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell wants federal help to pay for the aftermath from a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in August, and he’s taking his case all the way to the top. The Virginia Republican sent a letter to the White House Tuesday asking President Obama to survey damage in Louisa County near the epicenter of the unusual quake that shook the East Coast. McDonnell’s office estimates the damage at $15 million, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday denied his request for money to pay for the cleanup and rebuilding.
Most residents did not have earthquake insurance and a lack of experience with such a crisis impeded volunteer efforts to assist victims.
McDonnell has assailed Obama as the president’s 2012 re-election bid approaches, particularly now that McDonnell is chairman of the Republican Governors Association. But McDonnell is hoping to win the president’s help with an appeal of FEMA’s ruling.
Obama is expected in Virginia next week as he continues to tour the country to rally support for his jobs package. A White House official said the governor’s request is under review.
“You undoubtedly felt the tremors in Washington, D.C., almost 100 miles away, and have witnessed the damage to Washington’s landmarks including the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument, but you cannot truly understand the magnitude of the impacts at the epicenter of this historic event until you have seen them firsthand,” McDonnell wrote.
“I hope that your personal investment of time and the experience of seeing the earthquake damage firsthand will provide information vital to your administration as your review our emergency relief funding appeal.”
FEMA considers a variety of factors when assessing a disaster, spokesman Brad Carroll said.
“Based on the information provided by the state, it was determined that the damages from this event were not of such severity and magnitude to be beyond the capabilities of the commonwealth, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies, and therefore the request for a major disaster declaration was denied,” Carroll said.
Neither FEMA or the White House had any immediate comment on whether Obama would push the agency to provide relief funding to a state critical to his own re-election next year.
