CLENDENIN, W.Va. — The historic flooding in West Virginia has many of the state’s leading lawmakers out to support victims in need, including House Speaker Tim Armstead who says people are coming together to help one another.
“I think people have been here for generations, their families are from here, and I think they want to stay and so we’re going to try to do everything we can to help them be able to stay,” Armstead (R-Kanawha, 40) told MetroNews.
Armstead was in Clendenin Monday to see homes and roads damaged by high waters left behind from Thursday’s storm. He said his home was also impacted by the floods.
“We had about 6-7 feet of water. That didn’t happen until about 3:30 in the morning (Friday),” he said.
The storm was worse than the 1997 Flood, Armstead said, as the rain “kept getting worse and worse.”
“It was just unbelievable,” he said. “The force of the Elk River coming into homes, but we were fortunate enough to be able to stay in our home, but so many people — even up on the second stories of buildings.”
Clean up efforts will continue for a while before that area can be put back together. Armstead said concerns remain high for those who lost loved ones and homes.
“There are very few people that aren’t affect in some way by it in the whole Elkview, Clendenin area,” Armstead said.
Residents living in those areas and the rest of Kanawha County, Greenbrier County and Nicholas County are eligible to apply for FEMA individual disaster assistance. Armstead encouraged those flood victims to register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or to call 1-800-621-FEMA.