A Daily Mail editorial from the Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Now that the waters have receded and much of the mud and muck has been shoveled out, homeowners and state officials can begin assessing just how much the Great Flood of 2016 will cost.
Tomblin Administration officials believe the cost to the state will top $100 million, MetroNews’ Hoppy Kercheval wrote, with most of that money going to repair highways. Road and bridge repairs could run as high as $47 million, Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox told Kercheval. DOT has prioritized more than 100 flood-related road repairs and is bundling those for bid.
Taxpayers across the state will help pay for repairs to public buildings and schools, debris cleanup, National Guard service and health assistance, Kercheval reported.
None of that will come cheaply…