CASE Construction Equipment has announced Clay County, West Virginia as the winner of the 2021 Dire States Grant. Representatives of the county will receive $25,000 in free equipment rental from CASE that will be supported locally by State Equipment. 

Clay County was awarded the grant to repair grounds and facilities that were initially damaged in heavy flooding in June 2016. More than 500 homes were destroyed in that event, and local resources that provided food and services to residents have been closed due to ongoing water and sewer issues. This includes the recent closing of the local Nutrition Center, as well as the continued flooding of local parks and recreational areas. The ongoing fallout has been particularly hard on the region, with business closings and no grocery store currently open in the county. FEMA estimated at the time that the county sustained more than $8.5 million in roadway damage.