CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The Latest on flooding that has devastated parts of West Virginia (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Singer Brad Paisley has started a crowdfunding website campaign to raise money for flood-relief efforts in his native West Virginia.
Paisley, who was born in Glen Dale, donated $100,000 of his own money to kick-start a GoFundMe account with a goal of bringing in $1 million.
Paisley says in a statement that now that floodwaters are receding, “it’s time to pitch in and help in any way we can.”
Since floods tore through the state last week, GoFundMe spokeswoman Maggie Shepherd says more than $575,000 has been raised through various accounts on the website for West Virginia victims.
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3:45 p.m.
The Greenbrier Resort’s Sports Performance Center is distributing emergency supplies to flood-ravaged residents.
Cleaning supplies, generators, baby products and nonperishable food were available starting Wednesday at the facility in White Sulphur Springs.
Also available at the site are portable bathrooms and cellphone charging stations.
The posh resort was hard hit by last week’s flooding that killed 15 people in Greenbrier County and 23 statewide. Damage to the Old White TPC golf course prompted the PGA Tour to cancel the Greenbrier Classic tournament that had been scheduled for next week.
The NFL’s New Orleans Saints have held part of their summer training camp at the Sports Performance Center.
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3 p.m.
Federal officials have approved two more West Virginia counties for individual aid after damaging floods killed 23 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
In a news release, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday expanded the federal disaster declaration to include Pocahontas and Webster counties.
Those two counties join Kanawha, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Fayette, Clay, Roane, Summers and Monroe on the declaration.
People affected by floods in those counties can apply for individual aid, which covers emergency medical support, housing and other immediate needs.
The governor also lifted a state of emergency for 32 counties.
Those still in a state of emergency are Kanawha, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Fayette, Clay, Roane, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, Monroe, Lincoln and Jackson.
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10:30 a.m.
Celebrities including “America’s Got Talent” winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. will gather for a fundraiser to benefit flood recovery efforts in West Virginia, where at least 23 people died.
Murphy publicist Burke Allen says in a news release that a two-hour “Rebuild West Virginia” telethon will be held Friday night. It will originate from the studios of Bluefield station WVVA-TV and be shown online and on statewide television.
Murphy, a Logan native, and others also will perform at a free concert Sunday night in Charleston. He’s donating profits next month from his new song “Come Home to West Virginia” to flood relief efforts.
The release says others committed to help at either event include singer Billy Ray Cyrus, actor Kevin Sizemore, author Homer Hickam and former NBA player Bimbo Coles and ex-baseball player John Kruk.
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7:30 a.m.
Virginia residents are helping out their neighbors in West Virginia after devastating floods swept through the state last week.
WRIC-TV reports (http://bit.ly/291keCD ) that Jessica Pittman, whose husband is a West Virginia native, is collecting money to buy baby food and other necessities for the survivors. So far, the Hanover County, Virginia, family has raised more than $2,000 and hopes to fill two large trailers with supplies before leaving for West Virginia on Friday.
State Trooper Angie Shaffier, who grew up in West Virginia, is also helping those in need. She’s collecting blankets, bottled water, towels and other supplies to fill a large truck and take to West Virginia on Friday. She’ll be in Rockville School Park in Hanover County until 9 p.m. every night collecting donations.
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3:50 a.m.
Its owner says an iconic West Virginia resort may take a couple of months to reopen after deadly floods, but Greenbrier’s maimed championship golf course may not be ready for play much before the PGA Tour rolls through next July.
The floods that swept through West Virginia last week and killed at least 23 people statewide carved a path of destruction unseen in generations at the historic Greenbrier.
When the worst was over, Greenbrier employees came upon two bodies on the resort grounds.
Dating back to 1778, the 700-room resort has long been one of the jewels of West Virginia’s tourism industry, hosting presidents and royalty.
On Tuesday, 300 of the neediest victims from the flood-ravaged area occupied the rooms, and the hotel was closed for business while it fed and sheltered the disaster refugees.
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3:40 a.m.
Appalachian Power says it will pay for electrical inspections necessary to restore power for West Virginia flood victims.
Charleston manager of distribution systems Tom Johnson says the inspection is important to make sure restoring power is safe, even though it may seem like an additional burden for people already going through the aftermath of the storms.
The company said it will pay for the inspections during the flood emergency. It also said it’s contributing to flood relief and matching employee contributions to a relief fund.
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