MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Residents and business owners located in the small Monongalia County community in Dellslow continue to be affected by a flood plain that has led to hundreds of gallons of water flooding the area on a regular basis.
Dellslow business owner Chad Metheny offered an update to the Monongalia County Commission during their regular meeting on Wednesday, where he reported that the original 200-gallon-a-minute rate reported at their previous meeting in May was blown out of the water in the days after he stated his concerns. Much like in his previous statements made during the public portion of the commission’s last meeting, Metheny described how an abandoned sewer pipe as well as the area’s floodplain has led to flooding on various properties that have now become hazardous for Earl L. Cord Road motorists.
“The road did flood in this heavy rain in at least three or four locations there between Pass and the Central Supply Company,” said Metheny on where the majority of the flooding took place last weekend.
According to the Dellslow business owner, the recent rainstorms resulted in several inches of rain pouring into the center of the community, which in turn affected several properties located around the lower floodplain a short walk away from Deckers Creek. Much like in past instances where water flowing from the abandoned sewer line has led to flooding in the basements of several properties, the three days worth of rain that occurred at the end of May resulted in flooding that eventually reached businesses and parts of Earl L. Core Road. With several inches of water that was located in the heart of the Dellslow added to large rocks that were washed onto the road, Metheny hopes this will prompt some measure to be taken by both residents and county leaders.
“There were rocks the size of grapefruits washed out into the roads, people are slowing down, and some people, after dark, not being aware of this issue, come flying down through there, and then all of a sudden they see there’s water,” said Metheny. “They hit the brakes, and then it’s a hazard.”
Properties affected by the flooding in the lower Dellslow area are expected to have experienced at least several thousand dollars worth of damage due to water affecting electrical circuits, furniture, and overall infrastructure.
Metheny also noted that recent efforts made on a state level were also leading to ineffective results to address flooding in the Dellslow community. Since their previous conversations, it was noted that the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection attempted to remedy part of the situation by drilling boreholes in areas where acid water was reported in low-level parts of the community. Despite the efforts, the rainstorms, which reportedly produced close to three inches of rain over the final three days in May, were proved to be too much and eventually flooded over into various Dellslow properties.
“The DEP was out and drilled some boreholes to address some of the acid water in the area,” said Metheny. “And during this rain, with their boreholes, the water was coming up out of them.”
In recent conversations with the commission, Metheny stated that he hopes to garner community support to address the flood plain in Dellslow in the coming weeks ahead of any storms that are expected to take place throughout the summer. While nothing was confirmed by the commission during Wednesday’s meeting, Commission President Jeff Arnett expressed prior support in May on behalf of the commission to continue conversations with Dellslow residents in the coming months. For Dellslow residents, that hopefully includes conversations with the West Virginia Department of Highways and other state leaders.
“We’re trying to get the ball rolling to get some drainage put in, but it’s been an ongoing problem,” said Metheny. “And noted in the county commission since at least 2021.”