Flash Floods Bring Out the Best in Hams

Flood waters isolated this house in Minden, in Fayette County, West Virginia.

NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 13, 2001--Hams in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky mobilized this week after flash flooding hit the Appalachian region. Amateur Radio Emergency Service teams were activated after thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain in south-central West Virginia and in bordering regions of Kentucky and Virginia July 7 and 8. While West Virginia was most affected, amateurs in all three states have cooperated in supporting the relief effort, which is expected to continue for several more days.

West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise has declared a state of emergency in Boone, Fayette, Raleigh, Summers, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell and Doddridge, counties. The heavy rains caused mudslides in valley towns located in the mountainous region. At least one flood-related death was reported.

West Virginia Section Emergency Coordinator Mac McMillian, W8XF, said the affected region is largely comprised of rural coalfield counties, some bordering Kentucky and Virginia. He estimated that 60 hams have participated in the disaster response and relief effort.

The community of Dorothy in Raleigh County also was among those hard-hit by last weekend's flooding

West Virginia ARRL Section Manager Olie Rinehart, WD8V, said as many as 1000 homes were washed away. Rinehart said many of the affected residents have moved in with relatives, but about 100 took advantage of Red Cross shelters. Amateurs have been supporting three Red Cross chapters in the current crisis. Two of eight Red Cross shelters now have been closed.

Telephone service was affected as switching stations were inundated by the floodwaters. "In a lot of places, you can call out but you can't call in from outside the area," Rinehart said.

The heavy rainfall caused flooding on the Guayandotte, Big Sandy, Big Coal and Little Coal and Tug rivers, among others. Rinehart said water treatment plants along rivers were knocked out of commission by the flooding, and some 5000 residents remain without drinking water. Another 2500 still have no electrical power, he said. The National Guard has been mobilized to assist in the cleanup and also has been hauling in water for affected residents.

The town of Mullens in Wyoming County, West Virginia.

The flooding last weekend caused "major washouts" on 16 highways. In all, some three dozen roadways remain closed to traffic, either because water remains over the pavement or bridges have been washed away. Rinehart said authorities expect it could be as long as three months before some roads are passable.

In addition to assisting local emergency management officials and relief agencies, hams this week have been handling health-and-welfare traffic for the National Guard troops now working in the region. McMillian said hams in five communities were using HF and VHF to handle traffic between National Guard workers and their families back home.

In Kanawha County--in the West Virginia capital region surrounding Charleston--Kanawha Amateur Radio Emergency Services pitched in to assist. Emergency Coordinator Jeff Clark, K8JAC, dispatched members of his all-ham family and other KARES members to assist in Fayette County, southeast of Charleston, and with the Red Cross in Charleston.

Clark's son Patrick, KC8BFD, was the 2001 Newsline Young Ham of the Year. His wife, Tina, is N8TSY, and his daughter, Erin, is KC8PZZ. Other KARES members were posted at the National Weather Service to monitor approaching weather.

Clark said at one point, one amateur maintained a simplex VHF relay between KARES operators on Cabin Creek and the Charleston emergency operations center until they were able to access the Fayette County repeater. "Thanks to the cooperation of Fayteet ARES/RACES, we were able to conduct shelter communications through their net," he said.

Across the Tug River in Kentucky, Lawrence County EC Fred Jones, WA4SWF, said hams on both sides of the border worked together to pass health-and-welfare traffic. "The damage that was done here is nothing like I had ever seen before," he said. "In a time like this, you have to work fast to get things done."

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