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Jim Nantz prepares to tell WV flood recovery story

White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. — Veteran CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz said he will be telling a different kind of story this weekend during coverage of The Greenbrier Classic golf tournament as this community and West Virginia continue recovering from the devastating flood of one year ago.

“This is going to be a weekend where (the flood story) is much bigger than a golf tournament,” Nantz said following a luncheon Tuesday honoring those who participated in the flood recovery effort.  “This is a story that has a huge heartbeat to it.”

Nantz and CBS did not come to the Greenbrier last year since the tournament was canceled because of the flood which destroyed the Old White TPC, wiped out communities and claimed 23 lives across the state. He and the network followed the story closely.  “We missed this event last year and we were heartbroken” to see the damage.

Now that he and CBS are back, he said they plan to include the story of the recovery effort during coverage Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s an American success story,” Nantz said, “the rebuilding of an area and neighbors coming together. It falls on our shoulders to tell the story of the true recovery that has taken place here.”

CBS Sports aired a one-hour special last year in the time slot where the golf coverage would have been and elements will be incorporated into this year’s tournament coverage.

“We want to do more,” Nantz said, “and part of that is to document for people what happened, what happened after that and shine a spotlight on the positive things that are going on right now.”

Nantz was the master of ceremonies for the Neighbors Loving Neighbors flood relief effort luncheon at the Greenbrier.