Published: July 03, 2008 04:03 pm         

Terrible day of devastation remembered

Officials reflect on changes made after 2001 flood

It was a nightmare come true — the devastation of the horrific July 8, 2001 flood. However, officials know it can be repeated again at any time and everyone must be prepared.

On that fateful Sunday — July 8, 2001 — water literally came from everywhere, from overflowing creeks and streams, down mountainsides, and in some instances it seemed to blow from underground mines, victims recalled.

Nearly every community in the county was hit.

“Every road in the county was blocked off for a while,” according to Dean Meadows, county Emergency Services director. “The county was virtually shut down as far as egress and regress.”

Official storm totals put the rainfall at 11 inches in four hours that Sunday morning. The total is based on an average of rain gauges from throughout Wyoming County, Meadows said.

The water level in R. D. Bailey Lake raised 31 feet from the rainfall, the result of a series of severe summer storms that deluged Wyoming County as residents tried to go about their routines. R.D. Bailey Lake is the collection point of waterways in Wyoming County.

Miraculously, only one death, in McGraws, resulted from the rising water. Had the storm hit in the pre-dawn hours, officials believe the death toll could have included dozens of residents.

The raging waters flooded every road in Wyoming County and nearly every valley, cutting the area off for a time.

Victims had little or no warning of rising waters and, in many instances, had to flee their homes as the exploding waters ripped the structures apart. Some waited out the rushing water on high ground or rooftops, any available dry spot.

They recounted being trapped inside their flooded homes, seeing others clinging to treetops or stuck on rooftops, or fleeing to the nearest high ground just in time to avoid being swept away by the violent flood waters.

Coffins floated through the streets of Mullens, escaping from the local funeral home covered in water. Across the county, mobile homes — including “double-wides” — floated as if they were toys in a bathtub.

Since the terrorist attack of Sept. 11 of that same year, more federal funding has been provided for disasters through Homeland Security, explained Del. Richard Browning.

“We have better communications equipment and other equipment now,” Browning said.

“And after July 8, we know what to expect,” Browning noted.

He also believes industries, and individuals, who work or play in the mountains are more conscious of protecting the environment.

Disaster victims blamed mountain-top removal mining and timbering for the severity of the flooding. As a result, litigation in state courts continues today and is expected to play out in the courts for several years.

Flood plain management requirements were made stronger to protect residents from high water.

Those who followed the requirements before the July 8 flood were not flooded, Dean Meadows, Wyoming County Emergency Services director, said.

“All the homes around them were flooded, but their homes were spared,” Meadows said.

“The new flood plain ordinance definitely provides protection for homeowners as well as aids in lowering their flood insurance premiums,” Meadows explained.

Every downtown business was destroyed in Mullens during the July 8, 2001 flood, including the barber shop of current Mayor Jon McKinney.

“The water was two feet from my ceiling,” he said of the shop.

But the downtown area is rebuilding.

“We lost a lot of residents after the flood, but people are starting to come back now,” the mayor said.

“Everybody seems a lot closer now,” McKinney said of his community. “They seem to appreciate the local businesses more. They are more involved in the community. There are more volunteers now for things going on in town.

“At first, the flood may have seemed to destroy us, but it really united us,” McKinney emphasized.

Pineville Mayor Tim Ellison recalls getting little sleep the rainy night prior to that Sunday flooding.

“The water was higher than I’d ever seen it in my lifetime,” he recalled. His own home was also flooded as was the Appalachian Power building where he works in Pineville.

“Words can’t explain it,” he said of his reaction to the devastation. “It looked like a war zone.”

Ellison said town officials are more aware of many things in town as a result of the devastation, including the drainage system and are working to improve it as well as keep it properly maintained.

“I don’t think we take anything for granted any more,” Ellison said of the community.

“The flood changed Wyoming County in several ways,” Meadows believes. “Wyoming County has a population of around 25,000 people. At least 5,000 people were affected in some way. Whether by access problems or utility problems, etc. At least 1,200 residents had damage of some type to their property. Over 300 homes had substantial damage and had to be demolished.

“It changed us physically,” Meadows said. “We have a lot of areas of open space due to mitigation. It changed us emotionally. Many people saw their life possessions gone forever.

“It changed our way of thinking. Each of our three municipalities (Mullens, Pineville, and Oceana) as well as the county commission have taken steps toward mitigation and better flood plain management to reduce the risk of flooding damages in the future.

“Not only the local governments, but the citizens themselves have worked toward protecting themselves and their property from flood waters,” Meadows emphasized.

“We learned that we’re vulnerable, but capable of sustaining through disaster and recovering from it,” Meadows noted. “I personally have learned that plans on paper may be fine for a government mandate, but it takes people to make it work.

“I think we had great organization and support and that’s what helped us.

“This was our Katrina, but because of the cooperation and command structure that we established, our recovery became a success instead of a nightmare.”