Local Emergency Declared In Fairfax County After Flooding

FAIRFAX, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to declare a local emergency relating to the July 8 flash flooding. This activates the county’s emergency operations plan and allows for assistance to mitigate damage.

Under the local emergency, the county will evaluate whether it will apply for federal disaster aid. The county is seeking damage reports from residents, which will factor into a preliminary damage assessment. Residents can submit damage reports to the county's disaster damage database.

"By submitting information you are helping the county focus on what areas of the county had the most damage to provide to the federal assessors," said Seamus Mooney, the emergency management coordinator for Fairfax County.

The Board of Supervisors also voted to waive fees related to residential and commercial building permits for repair of storm damage. These fees will be waived for a limited time, not to exceed 90 days from the date of the declaration (July 16).

On July 8, the county received significant rain within a short amount of time, resulting in flash flooding. The storm caused damages to homes, roads, businesses and dams, as well as swift water rescues and road closures.