CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This summer’s high water in West Virginia has been a flashback for U.S. Senator Jim Justice. He was beginning his first campaign for Governor in 2016 when the floods came and caused widespread damage in many parts of the state, including his home town.
White Sulphur Springs and Rainelle, both in Greenbrier County were among the hardest hit. Three bodies were found on the golf course of Justice’s Greenbrier Resort.
“We lost a lot of folks, 23 total. We found three bodies on the golf course at the Greenbrier. We had a little 14 year old girl, Mikayla Phillips, who was lost for six weeks and finally we found her six miles downstream. I’m telling you it was as bad, as bad, as bad as I could ever imagine,” said Justice.
Justice was asked about the recent high water which may not have been as deadly as 2016, but in some places, like Buckhannon and Weston, it was just as destructive.
“If you’ll remember way back in our State of the State addresses, I proposed a lot of lake construction and stuff like that for flood control. Our mountains, when it rains, it’s bad,” he said.
Justice suggested the state needs to have a fund set aside which holds perpetual money to help people who find themselves within hours of a disaster having nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“The idea of not having any dollars set aside and everything, that’s a bad move,” said the Senator.