photo by: Joselyn King

Susie Nelson, left, executive director of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, and Staci Stephen, executive director of the United Way for the Upper Ohio Valley, speak to Ohio County commissioners Friday.

WHEELING — The $30,000 Ohio County commissioners didn’t spend on fireworks at The Highlands this year has exploded into an amount exceeding $169,000, and they are going to let the experts decide how it can best be directed toward local flood relief.

The West Virginia Volunteers Active In Disaster has partnered with the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley and others to form what is being called the Long-Term Flood Disaster Relief Committee. The committee has representatives from service provider organizations, churches, civic organizations, community funders and local government.

“We’re going to let them tell us where to send the money,” said Commission President Zach Abraham.

After commissioners initially opted not to spend money on fireworks, other companies and individuals began to contribute to the county’s flood relief, explained County Administrator Randy Russell. Among them, Appalachian Power donated $50,000 while other contributions were anonymous.

Russell is a member of the Long-Term Flood Disaster Relief Committee.

Commission President Zach Abraham said at least two upcoming fundraisers have been set to benefit the committee’s efforts in the coming weeks at The Highlands – one at Quaker Steak and Lube, and another at The Highlands Sports Complex.

Abraham indicated the commission now is awaiting word on where to send the money.

Susie Nelson, executive director of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, and Staci Stephen, executive director of the United Way for the Upper Ohio Valley, addressed commissioners during a rare Friday night meeting to report how much money their specific organizations have raised and spent during the effort.

Stephen said the local United Way had more than $450,000 to start, and still has about $257,000 to spend.

Nelson – herself a flood survivor – acknowledged she got off to a late start with fundraising, but the agency has generated $117,000 so far.

“We work very closely together, even when there’s not a disaster,” Nelson said.

She reported what they’ve learned so far by working with West Virginia Volunteers Active In Disaster.

“What we have been told is that there are 31 homes destroyed in the floods, and 21 of those were owner-occupied,” Nelson said. “Seventy-four cars were destroyed. And the approximate number of households impacted was around 1,000.”

VOAD has partnered with both organizations in forming the Long-Term Flood Disaster Relief Committee.” The committee has representatives from service provider organizations, churches, civic organizations and funders like the CFOV.

“Then they get caseworkers that are trained by VOAD. They go out into the field, and talk to families, find out what their needs are and create a case,” Nelson continued. “Then they bring that case back to the Long-Term Disaster Relief Committee.”

It may be determined that a specific household needs a washer and dryer or a hot water heater, and they pair that need with funding sources, she explained.

Stephen said the local United Way has been attending to the immediate needs of flood victims in Triadelphia and Valley Grove, helping them to get clothing and food cards to those who lost everything.

“We had over 60 people in hotels,” she said. “We have approximately 10 families we have placed in long-term apartments, and we are paying first month’s rent and deposit for them.

“We are paying for all the hotel stays for the families in hotels since the flood.”

The West Virginia Housing Fund has agreed to take on the cost of apartments and hotel rooms for flood victims until September, and that is freeing up the fund for other purposes, Stephen noted.

Case managers are being hired by the United Way to assist, and they should start next week. The agency is working on getting appliances, furniture and anything that is needed, she continued.

Drywall is especially needed, as is a place to store all the large items. She said she worked with Russell to find an available building in downtown Wheeling for that purpose.

“The cash we have, we are going to put it toward this Long-Term Recovery Committee,” Nelson said. “It will be an anonymous process. The caseworkers will know who the families are, but the funders will not know who the families are to protect their anonymity.”

Case numbers also will be worked in such a way to eliminate duplication of services “so we can help as many families as possible,” she continued.

Commissioners confirmed there would be no administrative fees from any organization participating in the Long Term Flood Recovery Committee.

Commissioner Don Nickerson took notice that case managers would be working in the field, and said this would assure those most in need were receiving assistance.

Commissioner Randy Wharton asked if the committee would be taking steps to root out those seeking to take advantage of flood victims, and Nelson and Stephen indicated there would be oversight.

“They just want a sense of normal,” Nelson said of flood victims. “I know that is what we wanted – just to get back to normal.”

There were also some questions as to whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency might pay for some parts of the assistance needed by residents, or if the Long-Term Flood Recovery Committee could be reimbursed for what is spent.

The answer was “no.”

“Philanthropy doesn’t wait for government,” Stephen explained. “We just do it.”

In other matters, commissioners approved the donation of a spare cruiser previously used by the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department to the Triadelphia Police Department. After Tridelphia’s cruiser was destroyed in the June 14 flood, the county provided the town with the cruiser to use. The county has now officially donated the vehicle to Triadelphia.

Also, Amy Pritt of the Valley Grove Fire Department announced it will have a paid EMS crew on call each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Aug. 4.

She explained the department was missing 50% of its calls during daytime hours as volunteers were not available, and there has been a campaign to raise the funds to hire daytime EMTs.

The commissioners will next meet in a special meeting set for 6 p.m. July 29.