Flash floods destroyed 7 homes in Kanawha County, officials say

Last month’s flash flooding destroyed seven houses in eastern Kanawha County, according to updated information from county officials.

Emergency management director CW Sigman also told the Kanawha County Commission during its regular meeting Thursday that 26 houses had major damage and 61 houses had minor damage.

Sixty other houses were affected but had minimal damage to structure and contents, he said.

The numbers reflect responses to damage surveys distributed in affected communities.

The floods also destroyed a substation of the Chesapeake Volunteer Fire Department and damaged the Kanawha Public Service District, Sigman said.

Jenny Gannaway, director of West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, said flooding also destroyed or badly damaged 22 private bridges in the county. The bridges will cost between $30,000 and $40,000 each to replace, she said.

Commissioners approved contributing $50,000 to VOAD to help replace the bridges.

The county will also extend its curbside flood debris pickup,  which was previously slated to end Friday, commissioners decided. The county has so far picked up more than 220 tons of debris, Sigman said.

Pickup will continue through Sept. 15. Dump trucks will travel the affected areas between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Flood debris should be placed by the roadside off private property for pickup.

The flash floods on Aug. 28 were brought on after several inches of rain fell that day and the previous weekend. Flooding slammed several eastern Kanawha County communities including Slaughter Creek, Winifrede-Fields Creek, Witcher Creek, Kelly’s Creek and Horsemill Hollow.

The flash flood led Gov. Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency for Kanawha and four other counties — Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, and Roane.