MANNINGTON, W.Va. — State Senator Robert Beach (D – Monongalia, 13) toured Marion and Monongalia County Sunday afternoon to get a better idea of the level of damage in the area.
“All of West Virginia are our constituents, really,” Beach said. “I think it’s important for all of us to take a moment and be empathetic to what the folks need here.”
Beach toured northern Marion County, where Governor Jim Justice spoke briefly at 2:00 p.m. before a tour of the damage. Beach also made trips to Wetzel County before returning to Monongalia County to survey damage on the county’s western end near Wadestown.
“I think it’s important for all legislators to take a minute to come out here and see what’s needed,” he said. “Because, chances are, at some point the Governor is going to come to us for an appropriations request. And I think it’s important to know where this money is going. And if you drive around here real quick, you can see where this money is going.”
Beach described at least one of those places in detail on U.S. 250 on his way into Mannington Sunday.
“On my way in, it was just past the Farmington exit, folks on the left-hand side of the highway, there was a big pool of water there obviously,” Beach said. “It was a garden. It was a very mature garden. Obviously, they were getting ready to harvest a lot of stuff from it. And that set in with me because where it was sitting, you could tell folks probably needed that food from the garden.”
Beach also said the flood was personal for him, with a number of family members who needed to be checked on Sunday in flooded areas.
“Actually, I have a lot of family who live in Mannington,” he said. “So, I’m going to go check in on them. I do know a cousin of mine close to Blackshere Middle School there was hit pretty hard. So, I’m going to go down and see if I can’t lend a hand — help him clean up whatever needs to be cleaned up.”
Eight counties — Marion, Monongalia, Harrison, Taylor, Tucker, Marshall, Ohio, and Wetzel — were all under a state of emergency following flooding that begin very early Saturday morning. Though hundreds of homes and buildings suffered damage, there were no reported injuries or deaths.
“These folks reacted quick,” Beach said. “It was neighbors helping neighbors as well. Speaking with the Mayor [of Mannington], he was just beaming with pride himself at the folks who actually stepped up to help these guys.”
More than 30 water rescues were completed successfully in Marion County over a near 12-hour period Saturday. The first rescue began at 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
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