Southern West Virginia residents continued to put the pieces of their homes and lives back together Tuesday as recovery from last weekend’s severe flooding continued.

The search for a missing Kanawha County volunteer firefighter has also moved into recovery mode, authorities said.

Donald Adkins, 32, disappeared in the floodwaters early Saturday during a rescue mission in Beaver. Adkins was a member of the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department.

A command post for the numerous agencies working to find Adkins is set up at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex in Beckley. State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis was on-scene Tuesday.

Lewis said the effort officially changed from “search and rescue” to “recovery” Tuesday morning. Emergency personnel working on the search would work during the day, but suspend searches altogether at night. This is being done to keep all manpower fresh for the active daytime searches. Before, someone would watch creeks overnight when active searches would end at dark.

The set search parameters ran from the New River at McCreery to U.S. 19 in Beaver, Lewis said. Officials at Hawk’s Nest have been asked to watch the dam in that area, and a helicopter has been flown over it three times.

A number of swift water technicians have been in waters like Piney Creek, according to Lewis. The swift water technicians can use ropes to maneuver through debris and other areas unsafe for traveling on foot or only in a boat.

Lewis said no divers are being sent in because the waters are too swift.

Air scent dogs are being brought to the water while saw crews from the state Division of Forestry are working to remove huge debris from the creeks, Lewis said. The debris includes items like tree limbs, trash — and ATVs and canoes.

“Whatever people had out in their yards is now down the creek,” he said.

Lewis noted the search area around Piney Creek is extremely dangerous. Waters remain very swift, there are several highwalls that are solid rock and there are “sheer drop-offs”. Emergency medical service crews are accompanying each team.

Given the search is for a fellow emergency responder, Lewis acknowledged the job is emotionally difficult, as well.

“It’s a job they don’t like, but it’s a job they won’t give up on,” he said. “They’ll be here until they find him. It’s a tough situation. It’s difficult when it’s one of our own. It’s a brotherhood.”

Firefighters from outside Raleigh County, coming from as far away as Clendenin, West Hamlin and Huntington, are participating in the search, Lewis said. He noted that all fire departments involved in the search have their home areas protected. The Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, the agency in charge, has other departments handling its calls and manning its station.

“Nobody is unprotected,” Lewis said.

-----

Raleigh and Fayette counties were slammed late last Friday night and early Saturday with flooding from a combination of torrential rain and lingering piles of snow on already saturated ground. The National Weather Service estimates about three inches of rain fell in Beckley between 7 a.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday.

The Beaver area was the hardest-hit in Raleigh County, and the worst Fayette County damage was in areas near Dunloup Creek.

The storm left one woman dead in the Bradley area. Authorities have yet to identify the victim.

Meanwhile, Gov. Joe Manchin extended last week’s state of emergency declaration to cover all 55 counties.

The governor had declared an emergency for 34 counties on Friday, citing the threat of high water from melting snow and forecasts calling for heavy rains.

Manchin’s declaration remains in effect until April 11.

-----

Officials at the Raleigh County Emergency Operations Center have now made debris cleanup a major priority. They have said debris could clog streams and cause even more flooding if another heavy rain strikes.

Marty Agee, deputy director of the Raleigh County EOC, said state National Guard troops will begin picking up flood debris Thursday. All residents with flood-damaged property that needs disposed should place the materials by the curb or roadside. They are asked to not place items on roads or thoroughfares.

The operation will start in Beaver, continue to Sullivan Camp, then to Mabscott and finish in outer-lying areas of Raleigh County, a release from the EOC stated. Residents should understand, it stated, that this service is only available for a limited time.

Agee emphasized that flood damaged items — which can include both natural debris and items like furniture — must be put on curbsides. National Guard troops cannot come onto private property to remove items.

“They can’t come in your house and carry a couch out,” she said.

The Raleigh County Commission is allowing the National Guard to utilize the county’s landfill, Agee said. Therefore, there is also no need to travel to the landfill with loads of items.

She also urged residents with flood damage to call the EOC at 304-255-9312. If a federal disaster declaration is issued, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will examine the names and addresses the EOC provides. However, if residents have called in before, there is no need to call again. Their damage reports are already documented.

Agee said she has toured some of the flood zones and have seen families with young children in the Beaver and Sullivan areas working to salvage their homes. Some debris piles are already being stacked up. These include business inventories and large furniture pieces like couches.

“When children are displaced, they don’t understand the impact this has,” she said. “They just know something is wrong, and that does affect a small child. You want to help those children and not let them be emotionally distraught.

“...It’s really heart-wrenching. Sometimes, our hands are tied, and everything doesn’t happen overnight. But if there’s a way to help, we will do it.”

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com