CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Contractors continue to pick up flood debris from the recent high water in eastern Kanawha County.
The Kanawha County Commission announced Thursday afternoon that the debris collection will be extended through this week till Friday, September 15.
Kanawha County Emergency Services Director C.W. Sigman said the collection process so far has gone smoothly.
“We’ve got three crews working in the area of Fields Creek and one crew at Little Creek. We’re going to go back to Witcher Creek. They picked up most of that creek and we’re giving people time to get more stuff moved out to the curb,” he explained.
The work is being handled by contractors who have a standing emergency agreement with the Kanawha County Commission for demolition and emergency work. According to Sigman some of the work has been subcontracted to other haulers.
The debris included a lot of appliances, mattresses, and other ruined household items. Sigman stressed it’s only for materials which were destroyed by the flood, but they do encounter some who are putting normal household waste out for pickup.
“What we should be getting are items like carpet or drywall, anything that was damaged in the flood. What we’re looking for is anything you had in your house that was damaged by flood water,” he said.
Sigman also had high praise for the West Virginia Division of Highways who were quickly on the scene and have at least temporarily reopened roads in the region. More permanent fixes will take a while, but the process is underway. Woody debris which piled up along the roadside is being removed by the DOH.
The West Virginia Soil Conservation Service also has contractors in the area working to clear woody debris from the stream bed.
“Trees and things wash down and if you don’t get them out, the next rain event might cause even more flooding. They’re working to get that out to prevent more stream blockages,” Sigman said.
Debris removed by county contractors is being hauled to the landfill, but Sigman said the woody debris collected by the Soil Conservation Service contractors is being transported to an area to be burned to keep from filling up the landfill space.