HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Residents in Huntington’s Enslow Park and Westmoreland neighborhoods were again cleaning up flood damage Friday. It’s become an all too common occurrence for many. The solution however, is not as simple as many think.
Cabell County Emergency Services Director Gordon Merry explains many have owned homes in the area for years and are unable to part with them because they are flood pruned.
“Obviously the property they pay a lot of money for, the flooding begins, and now the property obviously doesn’t cost that much because their house floods,” explained Merry.
Cabell County and state officials have been trying to assist residents of those areas which were flooded a day afterward get their homes back in shape. The city of Huntington is handling curbside pickup of flood debris. Merry said they hope to gauge the impact of the high water with an online survey. It’s voluntary, but Merry urged all victims to visit and document their damages.
“If they would go to that and there’s a ‘FEMA reporting’ to fill out. Maybe if we can get more people to go and fill it out we would be able to get them some federal assistance,” he said.
Merry wasn’t sure exactly how many homes were impacted. However, he said there were all degrees of damage from minor yard and basement flooding to situations where every room of the house on the ground floor had several inches of water up the wall.