Ronceverte begins to bounce back from flood

July 01--RONCEVERTE -- Not only does this small city boast a river and a railroad, it also has free-flowing springs running underneath its streets and buildings.

Unfortunately, water from those springs -- combined with runoff rolling down Ronceverte Hill from an unusually severe rainstorm late last week -- built up and spewed forth in shoulder-height columns from storm drains in Edgar Avenue, playing havoc with bordering businesses, including the Edgarton Cafe and Bakery.

"The water had to run somewhere," Edgarton owner Kathy King shrugged.

She said her 5-year-old business suffered little damage, compared to some. "The kitchen didn't get any water," she said, "And we only had an inch or two of water and mud in the front of the building."

King noted that Edgar Avenue hasn't seen any flooding since 1996, when the Greenbrier River surged through downtown Ronceverte, causing millions of dollars in damage.

She said this flood event resulted in a loss of food from the cafe's refrigerator -- although she did donate undamaged foodstuffs to first responders -- and a loss of revenue when she had to close the doors for the duration of a boil water advisory that is still in effect. She estimated the dollar amount would end up being between $3,000 and $5,000.

"Material things can be replaced, but the loss of lives..." she said with a shake of her head, thinking of the record number of deaths caused in Greenbrier County by the flood.

If the boil water advisory is lifted by then, King plans to reopen her business on Tuesday, after she's spent the weekend volunteering in her community where needed.

"People need to be fed; once we're up and operational, we'll start delivering meals," she said.

l l l

King is also an officer at Premier Bank, right around the corner from the cafe. She said the bank's basement took on some floodwater, which was still being pumped out Thursday afternoon.

Other Ronceverte businesses that sustained damage in last week's flood include Gateway Industries, Ripco and Factory Tire. Several government outposts also were hit, as the county's Recycling Center, a state WIC office and a U.S. Post Office were all in the flood's path.

Story continues below video

Water in the Ronceverte Museum, established only last fall, was 8 inches deep, according to King. She said most of the irreplaceable items on display in the museum were either gotten "up or out" before the water rose too high.

River flooding that followed the initial flash flood did damage to the city's wastewater treatment plant and claimed several pieces of equipment belonging to the contractor who is constructing the new treatment plant, according to city administrator Reba Mohler. She said both the city and the contractor have insurance.

She said she also anticipates that FEMA will respond to applications for assistance, as it did following the derecho four years ago, although it appears that the recently-completed 911 addressing project that assigned new street numbers to homes and businesses is creating confusion in individuals' efforts to file applications with FEMA.

Around 20 homes near the river were damaged to one degree or another by the flood, as was the Island Park, Mohler said.

"People here know from experience how to handle this kind of situation," she said. "But this was different; it came on so fast."

Also:

l The National Guard started working in Ronceverte Thursday and had cleared a lot of debris from neighborhoods and the park, Mohler said.

l Water, cleaning supplies and toiletries are being distributed at the Police Department, beside City Hall.

l The American Red Cross is running a shelter at the fire department.

v Mohler said, while she hopes the boil water advisory can be lifted before the holiday weekend, it could be Wednesday before that is possible, as one of the city's water storage tanks is still not sufficiently filled.

l People in the Squirrel Hill area likely will not have running water until sometime next week, Mohler said. City workers have taken bottled water to the residents there who are unable to get into town due to ill health or age.

-- Email: [email protected]

___

(c)2016 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)

Visit The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.) at www.register-herald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.