Two more counties approved

Federal officials have approved two more counties for temporary housing after deadly floods washed through thousands of homes last month. A press release Wednesday from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says Clay and Nicholas counties have received the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s approval for housing. The two counties join Kanawha and Greenbrier as eligible for the temporary manufactured housing units. The news release says FEMA found that there aren’t enough rental properties nearby and that financial aid alone won’t solve immediate housing needs. The June 23 floods killed 23 people. State Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety spokesman Larry Messina say Red Cross identified more than 4,400 homes affected by the floods, including more than 2,000 destroyed and nearly 1,300 with major damage.