BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Bluefield City Manager Cecil Marson said they are still counting, but the flash flooding on Monday impacted as many as 750 homes in the city.
“The ballpark, anywhere from 250 to 750 is the amount of homes that have had some form of water damage,” he said.
The city endured more than three inches of rain in a short period of time. The runoff overwhelmed the city’s storm drains and backed up water into a number of residential neighborhoods. Larch and Tulip Streets along with College Avenue were the biggest trouble spots.
“All the water is receded and we got that cleaned up. Now we’re removing the last of the debris and the Red Cross is starting to go through the neighborhoods,” he explained.
Officials from the Red Cross and the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management went door to door Tuesday to document the level of damage in each home. Most of the damage was basement flooding, but a few had water in the living space of the first floor in their homes. The assessment also was happening in parts of Mercer County outside of Bluefield City Limits and in neighboring McDowell County.
Marson said he’s been told those areas of Bluefield which were hit have historically had water problems, but this was the worst rainfall in more than 20 years in the city. The damage assessment was expected to take several days to complete. The compilation will determine if they city and county residents can qualify for any sort of financial assistance for the damage.