Valley Spends Weekend Cleaning Up After Flood
John McCabe Trending
WHEELING -- The long and tenuous process of removing mud from basements and sterilizing homes continued this past weekend at flooded residences and businesses in the Ohio Valley.
After the Ohio River crested at 41.49 feet Thursday night, cutting off access to much of Wheeling Island and other low-lying communities, the Ohio River continued to recede toward its normal level, allowing residents to begin cleaning up and others to offer assistance.
A visit to Wheeling Island showed families putting their lives back together after a few days of chaos.
After the mud was removed and the bleach sown into every corner, washers and dryers, hot water heaters and furnaces were returned to basements and reinstalled. But it was the mud that, on Saturday, took up everyone's time.
Shelley HansonWheeling Island resident Keisha Wilson is shown with the many keepsakes and photo albums drying out on her lawn Sunday following Ohio River flooding last week.
Crews from Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration were busy Saturday morning hosing and scrubbing mud from Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack. On Sunday, parts of the casino reopened -- the slots and sportsbook, buffet and table games. Live racing, poker and the hotel will remain closed for the time being.
Next door at Wheeling Island Stadium, where a layer of silt sat atop the artificial turf, workers prepared to begin cleaning the field. Water and time will be needed to get as much mud out of the turf as possible before it dries and stains the surface.
City of Wheeling crews remained busy throughout the weekend, helping residents pump mud and water from their basements, removing trash and cleaning city streets on Wheeling Island.
Volunteers mobilized in full force as well. Early Saturday morning, a 53-foot trailer from the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort in Nashville pulled into the National Road Church of Christ in Wheeling, filled with cleaning supplies, clothing, shoes, food and more to help residents get back on their feet.
On the Island, the House of the Carpenter stayed busy through the day handing out cleaning supplies and other assistance. At Belle Isle, volunteers gathered with a small table filled with supplies to assist residents on Wheeling Island's north end.
Meanwhile, a pair of Northern Panhandle McDonald's owner/operators supported the efforts of area emergency operations centers. Bob Stoltz, based in Wheeling; and Twila Mezan, based in Follansbee, made sure hot breakfasts and dinners were delivered to the hard-working teams in Wheeling and Wellsburg. In addition, clean-up supplies were donated to The House of the Carpenter.