FEMA: 1,000 Applications Received for W.Va. Flooding Assistance So Far

— -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received over 1,000 applications for assistance so far, after the devastating flooding that slammed West Virginia.

Those numbers reflect applications from only three counties FEMA has designated eligible for federal funding -- Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties -- so the number of applications may increase if additional counties are added to the eligibility list.

"As of [Monday] morning, more than 1,000 individuals and households in these counties have applied for federal funding," a FEMA spokesman told ABC News. "We will be conducting PDAs in several other affected counties over the next few days in order to determine their eligibility for federal funding."

The preliminary damage assessments conducted by FEMA in the aforementioned trio of counties resulted in President Obama issuing a major disaster declaration for the state of West Virginia on June 25, the spokesman said.

"This declaration has released federal funding for individuals and communities affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began on June 22nd, 2016 and are ongoing," the spokesman said.

The federal agency said it has also deployed over 250 staff to the state to assist in response and recovery.

And there are 470 West Virginia National Guard troops on the ground, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said during a press conference Monday.

FEMA also said in a statement Monday that the first Disaster Recovery Center "is planned to be open soon, where survivors can go to get assistance and information."

Twenty-three people died as a result of the flooding, the worst the state has seen in three decades.