MATOAKA, W.Va. -Recovery efforts in Mercer County have been underway with National Guard members moving into Matoaka.
“I think we’re actually going pretty good. We started pretty much into the recovery phase probably early in the week, late last week, actually early this week, and this is what this is the time-consuming part of a disaster. A flood of this magnitude comes and a day or two and you end up working two or three days on what you would call your response phase where you’re actively still responding to calls in the county, and assisting people with emergency needs such as food, water, the basics and then, once that kind of slows down, you end up being into the recovery phase obviously and that’s kind of where we’re at,” said Keith Gunnoe, Mercer County’s Emergency Management Director.
The town of Matoaka has seen devastating flooding before in the early 2000s but like many say they have never seen flooding like this before.
“ It was hit very hard. The local hardware store, the windows were busted out in. I know myself I probably had about four feet of water in my basement. The local homes were hit hard. Just because you don’t see the devastation outside doesn’t mean there’s not devastation in people’s homes,” said Alicia Vest, Matoaka Outreach Coordinator.
With much damage not seen from the outside, recovery efforts are working from within.
“That’s a reoccurring theme across the coalfields. People are looking to see like our houses are still standing. It’s not that bad. They don’t understand that there’s all the water inside that house, the mud, the filth that got into there. Now these homes are ruined. People are still trying to salvage them and just masses and people I don’t think are fully understanding the scope of how bad this truly is,” said Zach Shrewsbury, Executive Director for Blue Jay Rising.
With all the devastation one resident says Matoaka will come out stronger than before.
“ I’ve never witnessed nothing that bad, that water was so mean. It was just, it was like here on a vengeance. It was just so mean, and you couldn’t do nothing but listen to your doors bust and listen to the glass bust and listen to your bottles shatter and go everywhere and people screaming because they’re scared and they’re stuck,” said Tina Pendergrass, a Matoaka Resident. “Everybody is again has pulled together and it’s been really good. It’s the towns really came. We’re going to rebuild and we’re going to get back and we’re going to be as strong as ever,” continued Pendergrass.
With these recovery efforts underway the need for help and supplies is still in southern West Virginia.
“ We’re keeping supply the best we can. We have trucks coming in from western North Carolina about once a week. We have some donations coming in, but I mean it’s still not enough to keep up with the demand,” said Shrewsbury.
The Mercer County disaster recovery center is located at Princeton Church of God with hours Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Matoaka residents and others in McDowell and Mingo counties are in need of cleaning supplies, heaters, hygiene products and more. If you’d like to help, donations can be taken to 113 First Avenue in Matoaka.
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