photo by: Eric Ayres

Valley Grove Mayor Chad Kleeh, from left, Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo and Deputy Director Tony Campbell attend a press conference Monday to update the public about ongoing flood recovery efforts.

WHEELING — Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency are in flood-ravaged areas of Ohio County gathering information for preliminary damage assessments as the area awaits a federal disaster declaration from the president.

Local officials held a flood recovery update on Monday in Wheeling to provide the latest details on disaster recovery efforts, the ongoing search for one missing person, the latest road closures, updates on donations and supplies, vaccination clinics and other developments related to the deadly June 14 flash flooding.

“I think this is really good news for the residents of both Triadelphia and Valley Grove — FEMA is here,” said Tony Campbell, deputy director of the Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “That’s a big deal. I know everybody has been waiting for that.”

A presidential disaster declaration would unlock FEMA funding relief for both damaged infrastructure and private property losses. Preliminary numbers from more than 870 Individual Assistance Damage Surveys have been sent to the state — where a disaster declaration has already been made by West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey — and have been forwarded to the federal government.

Officials on Monday indicated that FEMA has “boots on the ground” helping to calculate losses from the flooding that claimed at least eight lives and destroyed neighborhoods along Little Wheeling Creek and National Road from Valley Grove to Triadelphia, as well as in parts of Elm Grove and Woodsdale along Big Wheeling Creek in Wheeling.

“FEMA is now looking at our numbers so they can say, ‘Mr. President, they’re right,'” said Lou Vargo, director of Ohio County Homeland Security and EMA. “That’s what he’s going to base his declaration on. This is the next step — it’s one step closer to getting a declaration. But it’s a slow process, but it’s going to be well worth it when we get it.”

A total of eight individuals lost their lives during the flood and have since been recovered. Vargo said one of their primary objectives is to find the one person who remains missing – 83-year-old Sandra Kay Parsons of Triadelphia.

“The roughest part of this for me is Miss Sandy that’s still missing — that being Sandy Parsons,” said Ohio County Sheriff Nelson Croft, noting that crews are out searching and drones have been used to scour the area regularly. “The search has been continuing. I’ve been in contact with her daughter every day. While we’re praying for a miracle, we kind of know the probable outcome. The family needs closure.”

Croft urged people who are volunteering to help with the search of the creeks and local waterways to use caution.

“There are a lot of ways to get hurt,” Croft said, asking volunteers to use reflective vests. “The creek is still flowing quickly, and there’s a lot of debris.”

Vargo explained why the search has been a particularly heartbreaking task for the sheriff.

“What he didn’t say was that he knew the family,” Vargo noted. “I can assure you that we’re not going to rest until we give closure to that family.”

Along the hard-hit areas of Triadelphia and Valley Grove, cleanup continues with fleets of volunteers working alongside crews from the villages, the National Guard and other agencies.

“We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the National Guard for the cleanups,” Triadelphia Fire Chief David Patterson said, noting that everyone meets in the evening to develop a game plan for the next morning’s cleanup efforts. “We’ve still got a lot of cleanup along Route 40.”

Crews are using excavators and skid steers to move debris from behind properties to the main roadway, where the National Guard has removed loads of debris. With a heat wave hitting the area this week, a cooling station has been set up at the Triadelphia Community Center, Patterson said, adding that a tremendous amount of progress has been made on the cleanup over the past few days thanks to the collaborative work taking place.

“This community has come together,” an emotional Patterson said, choking back tears. “My town is devastated. They’re bringing it together, it’s coming along, and I thank everybody for their help and support. Let’s keep going. Let’s keep moving. We’ve got to get this done.”

Valley Grove Mayor Chad Kleeh said community support has helped get them through each day on the road to recovery from this disastrous event.

“It’s been unbelievable what’s happened since last Saturday night and Sunday morning,” Kleeh said, thanking the legions of people who have donated their time and equipment. “People showed up out of the blue with their own equipment, using their own diesel fuel and just asking ‘What can I do? What can I do to help?’ It’s been overwhelming.”

Kleeh said debris in Valley Grove is also being pushed out to National Road for pickup, and the Valley Grove Fire Department still has plenty of supplies available for those in need.

In the recovery zone, officials are stressing that people need to stay out if they have no reason to be there. For those who have a purpose in the “Local Traffic Only” zones, they are asked to slow down below the regularly posted speed limits.

“The public is doing well, but they’re starting to lose their patience with people driving through and gawking,” the sheriff said, noting that sightseers are now being cited.

Croft added that the speed limit along these areas of National Road is 40-45 mph, however, that has been determined to be “way too fast” with all of the crews working along the roadway. Coordinating with the West Virginia Division of Highways, an “advisory speed limit” of 25 mph in the impacted areas is being established.

Local officials are receiving assistance from law enforcement agencies from across the state – including units from Boone, Putnam, Marshall, Wood, Jackson and Cabell counties – to patrol the recovery zones.

Croft noted that there have been reports of looting from the flood-stricken areas, and scores of questionable fundraisers are being investigated. One officer has been working full-time along with officials from the West Virginia Fusion Center to crack down on potentially fraudulent fundraisers.

“Every GoFundMe fundraiser that comes in — if they find them, they’re looking at them and are flagging the ones that seem to be sketchy,” Croft said. “So far, we have had — as of last night — 76 accounts that have been flagged with a total of $206,993 collected. If any of these cases are found to be fraud, it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Croft said many fundraising efforts have been found to be conducted by people who “meant well, but just don’t have a good plan.” Many have been ordered to take their accounts down and were asked to help in another way.

So far, around 75 vehicles that had been swept into the flood water have been removed from the creeks. If anyone sees a vehicle that needs to be removed, officials urged them to contact authorities.

The Ohio County Emergency Operations Center will continue to be in partial operation with area command posts set up at the Valley Grove Fire Station and Triadelphia Fire Station, Vargo noted.

Distribution of supplies will continue at the Triadelphia Methodist Church and the Valley Grove Fire Department. Donation dropoffs are being accepted at the Wheeling University McDonough Center, with large bulk items accepted at WesBanco Arena from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The sites at Guntry, the Elm Grove Riesbeck’s and the Armory in Wheeling are closed and no longer taking donations.

Emergency distribution centers currently have more water and clothes than they need, Vargo said, noting that items like paper towels, hand tools and hand sanitizer are needed. This week in particular, items like fans, dehumidifiers, fly strips, batteries, bug sprays, hoses and nozzles are in need.

“If anybody would like to donate equipment or supplies to us, we would happily take those,” Vargo noted.

Monetary donations being accepted by the Ohio County Commission with checks made out to Wheeling-Ohio County EMA. Individuals from out of the area have asked how they can help, and Vargo noted that donations can be accepted remotely.

“Every cent collected will be distributed to victims,” he said, noting that the recovery effort will continue through this current heat wave. “It’s 98 degrees outside — everybody is working in this heat.”

Cooling centers have been set up at the Salvation Army in Wheeling and at the Ohio County Public Service District in Triadelphia, with additional sites being coordinated. Anyone with questions about cooling centers can call the EMA office at 304-234-3756.