Virginia vulnerable to Trump’s proposed cuts in emergency management and disaster relief

TheRoute725bridgeinTaylorsValleyoverLaurelCreekdamagedbyHurricaneHelene.Virginiahasreceivedmorethan$46millioninfederalmoneytoaidintherecoveryfromthestorm.(CourtesyofVirginiaDepartmentofTransportation). CHESTERFIELD,Va.—VirginiawasoneofseveralstatesintheAppalachianregionslammedbyHurricaneHelene’srainfalllastSeptember.ThestormcausedtheNewRivertocrestat31feetadayafteritbatteredtheregion.InoneareaofDamascus,homeswereliftedupandwashedaway. AseparatestormbesiegedsouthwestVirginiainFebruary,knockingoutpowerto203,000homesandclosing270roads.Lastmonth,a1.5-milestretchofU.S.Route58,amajorthoroughfareintheroad-constrainedmountainousregion,reopenedaftergettingwashedout. Now,atthebeginningofa2025hurricaneseasonforecasttobe“aboveaverage,”Virginiaisinpreparationmodefortheseasonthattypicallypicksupsteamthroughoutsummeranddoesitsdamageinthefall,likeHelenedidlastyear. Scientistshavecontinuouslypointedtohuman-cre