The worst flooding in Gilmer County in nearly 25 years has stranded many residents and left them with no place to buy groceries or gas.
Boats ferried fresh workers Thursday to the Sunbridge of Glenville nursing home and the Federal Correctional Institution after the Little Kanawha River crested 9 feet above flood stage, said county emergency services Director Ed Messenger.
Susan Butcher, U-Pak Food Market manager, cleans up flood damage in Glenville. The worst flooding in Gilmer County in nearly 25 years has stranded many residents and left them with no place to buy groceries or gas.
About 15 families were expected to spend a second night in a shelter set up at the Sand Fork Baptist Church, about 7 miles east of Glenville, he said.
The flooding, which officials called the county's worst since 1985, inundated at least 15 homes and 15 businesses, including the county's only two grocery stores and its only four gas stations.
Highways into and out of Glenville from the east and west were impassable and much of the downtown was underwater, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service said four waves of storms dumped as much as 4 inches of rain on Glenville over 48 hours.
Church Trustee Sharon Radabaugh said she hasn't had much rest since she and her husband arrived at the church at 2 a.m. Thursday to help their flooded-out neighbors.
With assistance from other volunteers, they provided families and "lots of little kids" with games and activities to keep them occupied, showers to bathe in, food to eat and cots to sleep on, she said.
The Red Cross was on its way Thursday afternoon with more food and cleaning supplies that families can take home with them.
The worst flooding in Gilmer County in nearly 25 years has stranded many residents and left them with no place to buy groceries or gas.
Boats ferried fresh workers Thursday to the Sunbridge of Glenville nursing home and the Federal Correctional Institution after the Little Kanawha River crested 9 feet above flood stage, said county emergency services Director Ed Messenger.
About 15 families were expected to spend a second night in a shelter set up at the Sand Fork Baptist Church, about 7 miles east of Glenville, he said.
The flooding, which officials called the county's worst since 1985, inundated at least 15 homes and 15 businesses, including the county's only two grocery stores and its only four gas stations.
Highways into and out of Glenville from the east and west were impassable and much of the downtown was underwater, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service said four waves of storms dumped as much as 4 inches of rain on Glenville over 48 hours.
Church Trustee Sharon Radabaugh said she hasn't had much rest since she and her husband arrived at the church at 2 a.m. Thursday to help their flooded-out neighbors.
With assistance from other volunteers, they provided families and "lots of little kids" with games and activities to keep them occupied, showers to bathe in, food to eat and cots to sleep on, she said.
The Red Cross was on its way Thursday afternoon with more food and cleaning supplies that families can take home with them.
Other than being tired, Radabaugh said she and the community were coping well. "Everybody's safe and that's the important thing."
Messenger said the river was scheduled to return to its banks by 6 p.m., when cleanup efforts were to begin in earnest.
The Little Kanawha crested at 32.16 feet shortly after 8 a.m., less than in 1985, when it set a record at 36.46 feet.
Gov. Joe Manchin declared a state of emergency in Gilmer and 14 more of the state's 55 counties after severe storms blamed for at least one death caused flooding and mudslides that closed numerous roads, mainly in northern West Virginia.
The storms dumped several inches of rain and knocked out power to nearly 67,000 customers. Allegheny Energy spokesman Allen Staggers said that by Thursday afternoon, 13,700 customers remained without power, primarily in the central and eastern parts of the state. Appalachian Power, the state's largest electric utility, said 5,807 customers, primarily in the west-central part of the state, lacked power Thursday afternoon.
That's where the National Weather Service said the heaviest rain fell overnight. The town of Southside registered 3.17 inches.
In the north-central part of the state, about 2 inches of rain fell in Buckhannon and 2.4 inches in Grantsville.
The body of a man who was swept away while trying to drive his truck through high water in Marion County was recovered Wednesday morning. Sheriff Junior Slaughter identified the body as that of Shane Efaw, 20, of White Hall.
Keep it clean. Comments that are obscene, sexually explicit, racist or offensive will be removed. If you wouldn�t say it to your mother, don�t post it here.
Be civil. Don�t threaten to hurt anyone. Personal attacks, insults or harassment of any kind are subject to removal.
Be truthful. Don�t lie about a situation or person.
Keep it brief. Keep your comment to one post. Redundant or multiple posts in a row aren�t allowed.
Stay on task. Stick to the topics relevant to the story and discussion.
Let us know about offensive comments. Click the �Report Abuse� button if you think a comment is against the rules.
Post a comment