ST. MARYS, W.Va. — Saturday is going to be a busy day for Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
The governor has stops planned in Pleasants and Lewis counties devastated by Tuesday’s tornadoes and flooding. Morrisey will be in St. Marys at 11:30 a.m., followed by a stop in Weston at 2:30 p.m.
Morrisey has already held briefings in Upshur County since the flooding. Two people died as the water ripped through the Stonecoal Lake area of that county.
“Our emergency response has transitioned into a recovery mission, but our commitment to these communities has not changed,” Morrisey said in a release. “State agencies remain fully engaged alongside local officials, first responders, and volunteers to clear debris, restore infrastructure, assist families, and ensure every community has the support it needs as recovery continues.”
The governor’s office reported 352 members, and 84 vehicles of the West Virginia National Guard have aided in the cleanup, removing over 250 tons of debris in Upshur and Lewis counties combined.
Additionally, West Virginia Division of Highways, Division of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Protection, and State Police continue to assess damage and help the communities rocked by the weather. Morrisey’s office also praised the work of volunteers throughout the Mountain State who have stepped up, noting over 1,700 volunteers have registered to help cleanups.
Morrisey’s office said for now, one emergency shelter is open in Buckhannon.
Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner said around 1,000 structures — homes and businesses — have been impacted in some way by the flooding.
“That’s a lot,” Skinner said on “MetroNews Midday.” “Buckhannon itself, here, we’re a city of about 6,000 (people). We’ve got a little over 3,000 households or so in our corporate limits.”
Skinner said the community is banding together in flood relief.
“All these neighbors across our town, they’re reaching out,” Skinner said. “People that were not affected are going to the affected areas, even people who were affected are reaching across and helping their neighbors who also were affected. What do they say, ‘the pure definition of love is when you’re hurting, you reach out to help someone else?’ That’s what we’ve got.”
Skinner said the transfer station for waste is overloaded. He advised residents to put their debris out on the curb for pickup.
“The Army National Guard, they’re going to go street-by-street, alley-by-alley, road-by-road, and they’re going to be getting all of this debris from you,” Skinner said.
Remarkably, Buckhannon residents never lost water power, Skinner reported. He credited the service providers in the city.
“We are so fortunate,” Skinner said. “Our city water plant, and our city sanitation plant, both are in great shape, they are operating at full capacity. Our customers never once lost water.”
There’s a long road ahead for many central West Virginians. Morrisey said residents have shown “resilience” in their responses to the flooding.
“From our first responders and state employees to the volunteers and neighbors lending a helping hand, countless people have stepped up to help communities recover,” Morrisey said. “We will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners for as long as it takes.”