By Stephen Smoot
“There was minor residential damage where stormwater got diverted, minor water damage in homes along streams,” stated David Workman, Hardy County Commissioner of the heavy storms that afflicted the area last Tuesday.
For much of the Potomac Highlands last week, the storms that moved from south to north, following the valleys of the South Branch watershed served as an inconvenience. Ball games got postponed, outings were interrupted, and plans cancelled in much of the area.
In Hardy County, Department of Highways crews cleaned up fallen trees on South Fork and other roads, Dungeon Road was covered by the small creek that runs alongside it near where the road meets US 220 between Moorefield and Petersburg.
The storms that came through on Tuesday were accompanied by National Weather Service flood warnings and the information that, on their release, between two and four inches of rain had fallen to that point.
Lines of storms pummeled Smoke Hole Canyon, Grant County, the New Creek Valley, and the area along the Garrett and Allegany County lines in Maryland. They experienced severe flooding that closed roads, brought water into basements, and complicated drives home from work.
On the day of the worst rains, Grant County Sheriff Steve Wratchford announced on Facebook that “If you do not need to be driving in this rain, please stay home.
It also brought devastation to George’s Creek valley and the towns along it, especially Westernport.
Governor Patrick Morrissey issued a state of emergency for Mineral County that same day, but other areas of West Virginia had not seen the rain they had. Delegate Gary Howell noted on his Facebook page later in the week that parts of his district had seen over six inches of rain.
After the worst had passed, however, Luke McKenzie, Mineral County Office of Emergency Management Director, shared that “we are fortunate to report that Mineral County experienced zero injuries during the flood event.
“We thank our first responders and community members for their quick action and cooperation through the event.”
Delegate Bryan Ward whose district covers part of Pendleton and Hardy counties, shared that he kept in constant contact with the West Virginia Department of Highways and other officials as the weather worsened. The former Hardy County Sheriff and retired fire fighter and paramedic said that at his home in Fisher, “we got 4.3 inches.”
He added that Pendleton and Hardy both “really dodged it in this rain,” explaining that the staggered nature of the storms helped to keep too much water from accumulating in areas that would cause significant threats to life and property.
“We were fortunate the rain stopped when it did,” noted Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County emergency services coordinator.
Damage could have been much worse, Ward noted, had it not been for months of work by the West Virginia Department of Highways.
He stated that “these people travel the roads every day” staying observant and looking for problems that need addressed. Ward also explained that crews had spent months statewide digging debris and accumulations of rocks and dirt from ditches along roadways.
This work conducted since last fall helped to keep stormwater from doing more damage to roadways, from creating more obstructions, and reducing the threat of dangerous conditions.
“It’s really a testament to their work and being proactive,” Ward said.
Workman shared that he had kept in touch with Hardy County 911 and found that few calls for assistance came in, even during the worst of the weather.
He also praised the DoH, saying “there wasn’t anything they weren’t able to handle.”
One of the dynamics of the area lies in the ability of storms upstream to have significant effects downstream and to the north. Water accumulates as the rivers widen and deepen on their path to join the North Branch of the Potomac.
Pendleton County will soon get high tech equipment that will benefit the entire area during heavy precipitation events.
In recent Pendleton County Commission meetings, Gillespie has kept county officials apprised of incoming devices to help better monitor the effects of weather. Until now, the United States Geological Survey has maintained a rain gauge on the South Branch at Franklin and the South Fork at Brandywine. No gauges exist on the North Fork in Pendleton County and no rain measurement devices operate in county at all.
Gillespie says of the coming gauges “each one will help provide the early warning we need.”
He added that “the gauges are particularly important during the overnight hours when most people are asleep. During these hours, it is less likely that someone will see rising waters and report them.”
The devices will connect to networks that will provide early warning of danger from heavy rainfall or the rise of water in all three rivers running through Pendleton County.
“With our positioning at, or near, the headwaters of many streams, our gauges will support early warning for the entire watershed.”
Workman reiterated a concern shared by Hardy and Grant County Commissioners, as well as Gerald Sites of the Potomac Valley Conservation District.
Officials for years have expressed fears about massive amounts of rocks and other debris that have accumulated for decades. Trees have grown up in that debris, creating unstable islands that could dislodge in a flood event similar to that in 1985. Vegetation traps even larger amounts of debris when the river rises.
Workman explained that both federal and state officials have blocked the PVCD’s efforts to get the problem removed. A local company with expertise in such work has a standing offer to do the entire removal in exchange for the ability to haul off what they take from the river to use as they see fit.
Both the Hardy and Grant County Commissions have expressed fears that dislodging the islands would create a debris flow capable of severely damaging or even demolishing the Petersburg Gap Bridge, which serves as the only major and direct link between Moorefield and Petersburg with millions of dollars of commerce crossing daily.
Officials also point out that allowing a company to perform the labor at no cost to taxpayers serves as a better solution than risking the stability of a multi million dollar modern bridge.
While area rescue squads did not receive any calls for water rescues in the region, it was not for lack of trying. Pendleton County Emergency Rescue Training Officer Mike Alt shared photos on Facebook of kayakers assembling in Smoke Hole Canyon well before the water quieted enough for safe recreation.
