By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of the floods in the southern parts of West Virginia. Lives were lost and homes were ruined, but the state, and a portion of the nation, pulled together to provide support and assistance for those who have fallen victim to the flooding. However, it isn’t time to forget about them just yet. The initial shock of the flooding has set in and/or passed, and new emotions are brimming.
The flooding may be over, (hopefully) but the tragedy is not. The anguish and the shock are still coming for these victims and they still need our help or good thoughts. The flooding has stopped but some families are just now discovering that they won’t see their child again. At least 23 families have only just found time to grieve for their loved ones. Thousands of families have only just now found time to even consider what their next step is. Thousands of families are not done worrying for their lives. They’ve moved on from worry about how they will survive the flood to worry about how they will recover from it. Families are only just now attempting to rebuild their lives from the ground up.
Those who did not have flooding insurance and apply and qualify for a grant from FEMA can only receive a maximum amount of $33,000. For those whose homes have been completely destroyed, which is an estimated 1,500 people, could never replace even the contents of their homes, let alone the houses themselves and the sentimental objects they’ve lost, with that amount of money. Could you imagine starting life completely over right now? Imagine everything you have being wiped completely away, and you have to replace it all now. You no longer have a car to get to work, because it was swept away by the water. But, you don’t have a job to go to either, that’s also underwater. Now you likely don’t have a car, house, or job, but you have to replace everything in your house from plates and silverware to beds, blankets, and pillows.
People are trying to help in any way that they can, though. Stores, companies, and families all over the state are holding collections for donations to flood victims. They’re collecting toiletries, food, and clothes to send to victims who have lost everything. People are trying their best to gather and send necessities to those in need, but how do these parents explain to their kids that their favorite stuffed animal that they can’t fall asleep without is gone and they just aren’t capable of getting them a new one? There are so many things that have been lost that people don’t even consider replacing. It’s not just a new house and a car, it’s a new wardrobe for every member, new toys, new couches, new TV’s, new stove, new pots and pans, new bath towels, new lives. All expected to be replaced with $33,000.
Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier Resort, is helping by allowing people whose homes have been lost to stay at the Greenbrier Resort to provide shelter and meals to those who have nowhere else to go, for as long as the resort is closed. This is a huge relief for those who have nowhere to go, but what happens when the resort reopens? These people still can’t return to their jobs and don’t have the money for a new house, not that there are any available or lots to build on anyway. This is really the most anyone could ask for, and it’s a huge help and relief to those struggling, but these people have lost everything. They need more than anyone can give them, which is always the case with natural disaster victims, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to give them what we can, whether that be shelter or food for a few nights, or emotional support.
What’s hard to accept is, many people in this part of West Virginia did not believe flood insurance was practical because they lived upon hills or were protected by a dam, such as the Summit Lake Dam that was breached due to the abundance of rain water. The breach of this dam is why you may have seen pictures or videos of running water, as opposed to standing water that is present in most flash flooding situations. These people now must face the tragedy of lost possessions, lost homes, and possibly lost lives, with little to no financial help just because they had an illusion of security.
People assume the worst of it is over, but for some, the realization and the coping are the hardest obstacles to find their way over. We have seen the entire state come together to help one another out and it’s heartwarming to see that West Virginia is so strong. But, people are moving on from this tragedy before the victims are capable, before they can even face the emotional trauma. This is not the end of the tragedy, but the center of it. I hope West Virginia continues to stand strong with the victims as they find their way back onto their feet.
