On February 15th, major rainfall caused severe flooding across 143 counties in the state, leaving them in a state of emergency. The flood is now being recognized as the second deadliest in West Virginia in the past decade.
The flooding in southern West Virginia has left residents, like 82-year-old Eula Prater, feeling fortunate to be alive.
“By the time I got my shoes on, I just barely got out, got out of the house. But if I was 5 minutes later, I wouldn’t be here,” Prater said.
Amid the devastation, the local community has rallied together to provide essential supplies and support to those in need. Distribution centers and shelters were set up throughout the affected counties to assist residents. These centers provided food, water, cleaning supplies and a place to sleep.
“Right now, with the folks that are coming in, these families have lost everything, so my staff and volunteers are loving on people and caring for people, and we’re feeding people. It’s been an emotional experience,” Jarrod Dean, executive director of Williamson Parks and Recreation, said.
More than 100 members of the West Virginia National Guard were deployed to assist in distributing supplies and conducting rescue missions.
“Cases like this, everybody is equal. Everybody needs help, everybody is getting help. People who can volunteer, they’re volunteering. I feel like it just builds a stronger community sense of pride and sense of accomplishment because you’re doing something so amazing in times of desperate need,” Mason Foster, a member of the National Guard said.
The flooding comes amid a year of devastating natural disasters across the country. In 2023, more than 3 million Americans were displaced due to disasters.
Prater, who lost nearly everything in the flood, said she’s concerned about the future of her community.
“There’s no better place to live here than in this little town I think, because everybody knows each other, but I’m sure after this we’re going to lose everyone that’s been affected because they had enough,” she said.
Though Prater’s future remains uncertain, she expressed hope for her community’s recovery, even as she faces the reality of potentially leaving Williamson behind.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI then edited by human journalists for accuracy and clarity. WVU News leverages AI to enhance efficiency and accuracy while maintaining a strong commitment to ethical reporting and human oversight.