DUNLOW, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Flood victims in Wayne County are getting some much welcome help from volunteers, while still holding onto hope they’ll be getting federal assistance as well.
Families in Dunlow who are still cleaning up after floodwater got into their homes nearly three weeks ago are wondering when their lives will feel normal again.
“It destroys my heart, because I’ve worked 28 years on this place, my husband and me,” Teresa Finley said.
Stacks of flood debris and garbage are piled outside home after home.
Charlene Jarrell says damage was so severe in her house, it’s unsalvageable. She and her family are staying with a relative until they can move into a new home.
“We lost everything,” Jarrell said. “Thirty-five years of life was in that house.”
BJ Willis, the Wayne County emergency management coordinator, says the area had a total of 245 flood damage reports. Not all of those were damage to homes.
A spokesperson for FEMA says the state of West Virginia is conducting an initial damage assessment to study the impacts of this flood. Based on the outcome of the initial assessment, the state may request a joint preliminary damage assessment with FEMA to validate those damages and determine if they’ve met the threshold for federal disaster assistance.
Teresa Finley is among those hoping for help from FEMA.
“I need it bad,” she said. “I think they are forgetting about the little people here in Dunlow.
During the next week, flood victims will be getting a hand from 14 volunteers from an organization called Team Rubicon, which is made mostly of veterans.
“We can come in and help them be able to get back into their homes safely,” Paula Repka, the incident commander with the group, said.
Those volunteers will be in the area until next Friday. They’ll be sleeping at the Dunlow Community Center, which has served as a hub to help victims in the weeks since the flood.
“We are helping with Ace Hardware, buying materials with them to help rebuild,” Bill Likens, who runs the center, said. “We are bringing in all these donations to help distribute food and diapers and other needs they have.”
Jarrell says her kids’ teachers from Dunlow Elementary have donated all sorts of items to help them as they start over.
“We really appreciate everything they’ve done,” she said.
Likens, who is the Cabwaylingo Presbyterian Chapel director of outreach, says water got into around 110 homes in the area.
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Flood victims in Wayne County hoping for help - WSAZ-TV
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