BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Nearly a week after high water and high winds devastated parts of Upshur, Lewis and Pleasants counties recovery efforts are beginning to take shape.
City of Buckhannon spokesman Randy Sanders said there are three priorities in Upshur County including the pick-up of flood debris, getting cleaning supplies to flood victims through county volunteer fire departments and matching volunteers willing to clean-out houses with flood victims.
Sanders said the effort in Upshur County is one effort.
“We are working side-by-side, there is no city, there is no county, there is no division. We are joined at the hip in this operation,” Sanders said during an appearance Monday on MetroNews Midday.
Weston City Manager Joseph Solberg said there’s one thing he can’t get out of his mind.
“It’s the 100 and some rescues that we performed and in Lewis County we didn’t have one loss of life and what an absolute miracle that was,” Solberg said Monday.
There were two flood-related deaths came near Stonecoal Lake in Upshur County where a man and woman were trapped in a vehicle.
Pleasants County is cleaning up from three tornadoes. County Commissioner Mike Smith said “a phenomenal job” has been done.
“This area has come together as far as local volunteers, the state, people have really stepped up,” Smith said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Smith said there are 35 homes that need assistance with debris removal. He said that will happen soon.
“Unbelievable the work put in by the National Guard, the Division of Highways and all of our local personnel is coming together quickly,” Smith said.
No deaths but still devastation
Solberg credits Lewis County first responders, especially the Weston Fire Department for performing life-saving rescues.
“When you hear about devastating floods in other places, you hear about death counts in the dozens or in the hundreds sometimes and we don’t have that, tt’s not because we didn’t have the devastation. We are very, very fortunate, our first responders did remarkable work,” Solberg said.
Sanders said they have to continue to adjust. He said they recently set-up a counseling service through West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“Families are suffering and families that really have no support system need us. They need that kind of counseling. It’s been set-up and that’s on our Facebook page as well,” Sanders said.
Smith said had the tornado taken a slightly different path there would be another story to tell.
“It barely missed the downtown part of St. Marys. It barely missed, kind of split our two municipalities. If it’s a quarter of a mile in either direction it would have been severe devastation,” Smith said.
Debris removal
The National Guard is removing debris in all three counties. The flood debris removal is dominating the work in Upshur and Lewis counties.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued letters of approval for three debris sites including on Old Weston Road/County Route 12 in Buckhannon and at the Exit 99 interchange of I-79 in Weston.
The DEP told MetroNews Monday, “Citizens are encouraged to place any residential flood debris at the end of their driveway or near a public road so the West Virginia National Guard can pick it up for disposal at one of these sites. The WVDEP has also built pads at these debris sites for household hazardous waste, such as pesticides, fuel cans, paint cans, propane tanks, etc.
“Additionally, Barbour County has set up rolloff dumpsters in three locations to accept flood debris: Clemtown Road/County Route 10 in Arden; the Arden Area Community Center on Arden Road; and on Audra Park Road/County Route 11 in Volga. Because the debris is being placed in a dumpster and not directly on the ground, these sites do not require WVDEP approval.”
Sanders said Upshur County is working closely with the Guard and DEP to separate the debris.
“We have to look at the long-term effects that it’s going to have on our environment. We want to do it as quickly as possible but we want to do it the right way for our future,” Sanders said.