Answering questions Tuesday morning during a virtual briefing with reporters from the State Capitol Building, Justice said he was awaiting a review of a 365-page statewide flood plan, first started in 1998 and completed in 2004.

“I’ll do anything and everything in my power. I’ve always tried, and I will continue to do just that,” Justice said. “From the standpoint of doing things, doing anything and everything I can do to try to help these folks to not experience these tragedies … you won’t have to ask me anymore.”

The State Resiliency Office is conducting a full review of the statewide flood protection plan to determine what has been implemented since 2004, what hasn’t been implemented, and what recommendations are out of date based on new flood mitigation technologies and techniques. That review is expected to be completed by the end of December.

In May, state and county emergency management officials and floodplain managers participated in a two-day flood symposium sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts, New Orleans-based disaster recovery and mitigation company SBP, and the State Resiliency Office. The goal of the symposium was to review and update the flood protection plan. Data collected by Pew from participants at the symposium is being used in the review of the flood plan.

Since May, Justice has issued five states of emergency for 10 counties in the state – from Roane County to Wyoming County, and Cabell County to Fayette County – due to heavy rainfalls and flash flooding. Justice toured flood damage in Eastern Kanawha County and Western Fayette counties Tuesday afternoon after heavy rains hit several communities last week.

West Virginia received $1.35 billion in direct state funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The funds can be used for coronavirus-related expenses, but the funds can also be used for specific infrastructure projects, such as broadband, stormwater and watershed infrastructure projects, including flood mitigation.

West Virginia is expected to receive between $6 billion and $7 billion over the next several years from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, some of which can be used for flood mitigation and stormwater infrastructure projects. The state is also sitting on significant surplus tax revenues at the end of the fiscal year in June. The fiscal year 2022 ended with $1.3 billion, with more than $515 million available for appropriations. Another $92 million in surplus tax revenue was collected in July with more surplus revenue expected at the end of this month.

Asked what he would do to make a sizable difference for flood mitigation, Justice once again pitched the idea of manmade lakes to collect runoff in areas prone to flash flooding. The lakes could also serve as a draw for tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities. But with all the federal permitting likely needed to begin the process of creating a lake, Justice acknowledged that the idea was a moonshot.