BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Home. Normalcy. Community.
Those are a few of the words circulating Thursday in the Upshur County town of Buckhannon following historic rainfall Tuesday that led to flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I had never seen downtown look like that,” Michael Winters said.
Winters, who lives in Morgantown, graduated with a biology degree from West Virginia Wesleyan in 2019. He arrived in town Thursday afternoon with supplies to donate. Volunteers established a makeshift supply hub at the college. Winters couldn’t believe what his former home looked like.
“It just seemed completely foreign to me,” he said.
Buckhannon received 4.5 inches of rain in about 37 minutes in the worst of the storm. Some parts of Upshur County reportedly received seven inches of rain before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Amee Whitehair, who lives and works in Buckhannon, told MetroNews her mother’s home quickly took on two to three feet of water.
“It all came in within five to ten minutes,” she said.
Whitehair still couldn’t believe the amount of water. She kept video evidence of the historic night.
“I was walking through that to get our cars out,” she said, referencing the high water.
MORE Two flood-related deaths confirmed in Upshur County
Downtown Buckhannon experienced some of the worst flooding. First responders conducted swift water rescues in the area of South Kanawha Street during the height of the flooding on Tuesday. A local furniture store downtown, Pop’s Furniture, had volunteers piling destroyed inventory outside the building.
Main Street, however, was not hit as hard. Some businesses reported water in their basements, but many were able to open as early as Wednesday. Some downtown businesses, including Stone Tower and Whistler Stop Bar & Grill, provided free lunches for residents and first responders alike. Volume Bookshop & Studio provided free charging stations for anyone in need.
That same sense of duty led Winters to Buckhannon on Thursday.
“Seeing all of the photos online, all of the damage from the floods here,” he said. “Buckhannon’s home for me too. I went to Wesleyan for my undergrad.
Winters has lived in Martinsburg, Morgantown and Buckhannon. He lives in Morgantown now, but he said he will always consider Buckhannon home. He brought down five-gallon buckets, water, contractor trash bags, latex gloves and rubber gloves as part of his donation.
“It’s hard to see your home like that. I wanted to do something if I could.”
Donations from individuals can be brought to West Virginia Wesleyan’s Camden Avenue Fountain at the circle in front of the Chapel.
Larger donations from commercial vehicles should be brought to the loading zone of the auxiliary gym at the Rockefeller Center.