After Thursday night’s flood, Katelyn Eichelberger’s home, and those of two of her neighbors, are no longer habitable and they have received very little assistance.
“About 12 feet of water encapsulated my home,” she said. “And my neighbors are in the same boat as well.”
Eichelberger lives just past the Westover triangle, off of Dunkard Avenue. The water — mixed with sewage — filled the entire 8-foot height of her basement with another four feet intruding into her living area.
The damage? Her furnace, new when she bought the house a year ago; the hot water heater, cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms, most personal belongings, her toilets, floors, and most of the electricity — which will probably require a total rewiring of the house to meet city code.
On Monday, Eichelberger’s insurance confirmed she was not covered for floods. She explained she doesn’t live in a flood zone so she doesn’t have that insurance. Nor did two of her neighbors who have also been displaced, she said.
A neighbor who has lived in the area pretty much their whole life told Eichelberger the last time the area flooded was 1976. After that, the city put storm drains along Dunkard Avenue, she said.
None of the homes were damaged in the June 13 flooding, during which a similar amount of rain fell. Eichelberger believes those drains were clogged prior to Thursday’s storm because during the storm there were multiple geysers shooting out of storm drains between her house and the Circle K.
The only help Eichelberger and her neighbors have gotten outside of friends and family is from the American Red Cross in the form of a $500 prepaid card. Eichelberger said she’s grateful for the assistance but it’s already gone — the equipment to dry out her house costs $1,500.
And without a declaration of a state of emergency, more help isn’t coming. Until that happens, agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United Way and Red Cross can’t do anything, Eichelberger said.
Eichelberger said she was going to Westover’s city council meeting on Monday night to ask the council to pressure Gov. Jim Justice into declaring a state of emergency.
Eichelberger said she didn’t need help doing everything — just help making her home livable again. Area restoration companies are still completely booked dealing with damage from June’s flooding.
“I’m OK with putting in floors myself and figuring out kitchen cabinets but my home is not livable and I need it to be livable,” she said.
Questions sent to Justice’s press secretary about the governor’s willingness to declare a state of emergency if asked by Westover Council and what the state has done to help Monongalia County since Thursday were not answered in time for this report.
At Justice’s COVID-19 briefing on Monday, in response to a similar question, Justice said emergency management was on it.
“We will stay on top of it and supply every kind of assistance we can supply” he said.
According to it’s agenda, the Monongalia County Commission will discuss adopting a “declaration of state of emergency due to excessive rainfall,” at it’s Wednesday meeting.
