By: Kelsey Hoak | Posted: Jun. 22, 2017 at 4:11 p.m. | Source: WSAZ
CLENDENIN, W.Va. (WSAZ) — The state is working to make sure the flooding that happened last June doesn’t happen again.
On Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice joined House Speaker Tim Armstead and Senate President Mitch Carmichael to sign House Bill 2935. The bill creates several state flood protection measures.
The bill was passed back on April 8. It establishes a Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding, creates the Resiliency and Flood Protection Planning Act, creates the State Resiliency Office within the Development Office in the Department of Commerce and establishes a State Resiliency Office Board.
On Thursday, Armstead and Carmichael appointed members to the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding. The committee will be in charge of studying flood damage reduction and flood plain management. They will study solutions to reduce the reality and threat of future loss of life and property damages associated with flooding.
The State Resiliency and Flood Protection Plan Act states that flooding has affected each of the 55 counties within the state and that over the past 52 years, more than 282 West Virginians have died in the floods. The purpose of the act is to provide a coordinated statewide resiliency and flood protection program.
On Friday, the one-year anniversary of the floods, Justice will visit White Sulphur Springs and Rainelle to dedicate a memorial and hold a candlelight service.
