City of Wheeling crews help residents of Lumber Avenue in Elm Grove clean up following major flash flooding in June. The city is seeking federal reimbursement for expenses related to the flood response. (File Photo)

WHEELING — Officials in the city of Wheeling have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on how to proceed with reimbursements for flood-related responses and cleanup efforts related to the June disaster.

“We’ve been working with FEMA to get all the city of Wheeling’s issues identified in FEMA’s system, which has been going well,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said this week. “We have had two in-person meetings, and most of our damage has been successfully submitted.”

The heavy rains that led to the disastrous June 14 flash floods in Ohio County hit the area of Little Wheeling Creek the hardest, devastating homes and businesses in low lying areas of Valley Grove and Triadelphia and killing nine people.

While the flooding did not impact the city of Wheeling as severely as Valley Grove and Triadelphia, neighborhoods in the city — including parts of Elm Grove and Woodsdale — were hit hard.

In the wake of the deadly floods, The White House issued a major disaster declaration for individual assistance in July to help impacted private property owners and subsequently issued a major disaster declaration for public assistance in September to help municipalities and other public entities.

“President (Donald) Trump did declare the Father’s Day flood event in Ohio County as well as Marion County, West Virginia, for public assistance,” Herron said following the declaration. “We’ve already met with the West Virginia Emergency Management Agency. They’re briefing on how to proceed with this, and FEMA will be in town to begin their assessment process.”

The area of Elm Grove where Little Wheeling Creek and Middle Wheeling Creek converge and meet Big Wheeling Creek was among the hardest hit neighborhoods in the city. The flood waters left battered vehicles, mud, trees and debris of all kinds strewn in the creek bed and along the creek banks.

“We do anticipate receiving public assistance on debris removal,” said Herron. “We’ve had some parks that were damaged. We had some bridges that were damaged. So we feel as though those projects will qualify, and at some point we will get reimbursement.”

In the spring of 2024, flooding in other areas of the city resulted in a previous disaster declaration. This April 2024 flood caused significant damage to Wheeling’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Work is underway not only to repair damage to the plant caused by the floods, but also to bring tens of millions of dollars in upgrades to the facility.

“FEMA reimbursement is 75% of the cost,” Herron explained. “In the April 2024 flood, the state of West Virginia picked up the other 25%. I don’t know whether they’re going to do that in this event (June flood) or not, but if not, the city has already expended most of the funds, and we will get reimbursed up to 75% of the expenses.”

Members of Wheeling City Council have expressed concerns about debris that has remained in the creek beds and along the creek banks since the June disaster. Officials indicated that logistics are being hammered out to determine the best path forward to get it done.

“We all know it needs to be cleaned. I don’t think they dredge anymore, but it needs to be cleared,” Wheeling City Councilman Dave Palmer said.

“That was discussed, and it will be part of the assessment with FEMA in conjunction with the state of West Virginia,” Herron explained. “I don’t have an answer as to when that is going to be done, but it has been brought up, and it is an eligible expense. It’s just figuring out who is going to do it and how it’s going to be paid for.”