Hi folks. MurrayeWv checking in OK in massive WV flooding. I am from Huntington, and we were spared except for local wet basements, but this is the week of the WV Quilt Festival. I have spent the last three days in Summersville at the Conference Center/National Guard Armory, but in torrential rains. There was over 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, and some areas like Richmond had three inches a few days before, adding to the washout. There is a state of emergency in 44 counties of 55, and some towns are really devastated. Twenty people are known dead and it is feared the death toll will rise. The Greenbriar Golf course, owned by Jim Justice, Democratic candidate for Governor this year, is under water. The Greenbriar Golf Classic, a very popular event set to occur July 7, is uncertain. Clendenin, on the Elk River, had up to 500 people taking shelter at a strip mall called Elk Crossing, although people are being evacuated. And then there is this frightening video of a persons house experiencing a propane fire while drifting down the Greenbriar river.
I can’t emphasize enough how bad this situation is for my poor, broke state. We just passed a budget after our Governor, Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed one with no tax increases that would have depleted the emergency state reserves (sadly, needed for this crisis!) Earl Ray has been an example of the difference a Democratic Governor can make in a state turning tea party red-things would be much worse without him and he has made some tough choices and good vetoes (many overturned). The 2017 budget finally enacted in special session did take from emergency reserves, but now we will doubtless experience less revenue and need to spend more money on this emergency. Many people have lost everything and are elderly or poor. I don’t know even who to tell you to send donations to, but Red Cross may be good and I hear the Lions Club is helping coordinate donations. OVEC (Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition) (ohvec.org) is coordinating donations as well in Huntington. For more updates, check the Charleston newspaper as well www.wvgazettemail.com/...
If you are in WV or the affected areas of Virginia, please use this diary to check in, share news or suggest ways folks can help. Thanks for listening.
