MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Local contractors will retain vivid memories of the Christmas storm of 2022.
Vice President of Specialty Services at Panhandle Restoration Josh Contraguerro, told WAJR News the company’s crews have responded to about 100 or more calls each day since Christmas Eve.
“Most calls in company history; most responses in company history; and the most equipment on jobs that we’ve ever had in company history,” Contraguerro said.
James Downey, the owner of PhD Plumbing in Morgantown, promised his wife that there would be no work on Christmas Day. Downey said that schedule quickly changed for him and his crews when the phone started ringing with cries for help.
“We’ve got a lot of horror stories on our hands right now,” Downey said. “It’s sad, but at the same time we’re working 14- to 16-hour days trying to keep up and take care of as many people as possible.”
Calls for help began on Christmas Eve and have continued since. Because of the holiday, Downey said plumbing supply houses have not been available, so repairs have been made using materials available at big box stores.
“A lot of people were out of town, left their homes, and figured they’d leave the heat on and nothing would happen,” Downey said. “However, the wind froze all of the water lines.”
Downey said his established customers have graciously delayed scheduled maintenance and service so his crews can continue helping those without water.
At Panhandle Restoration, employees were looking forward to a scheduled shutdown for the holiday. Contraguerro said when the forecasts began to look dire they had to cancel downtime and regroup.
“When we knew where the temperatures were falling to, we adapted some of that,” Contrageurro said. “We gathered with our employees, and we got a lot more people to be on standby and willing to work.”
From Newell to Beckley, Contraguerro said they are working in 50 buildings on seven college campuses, four healthcare facilities in four cities, 11 schools in five counties, seven nursing homes, and 15 hotels.
Due to the nature of some facilities and the level of damage, crews must work around the clock to prepare for normal operations as early as next week.
“It’s not like we’re going from building to building in the same block,” Contraguerro said. “We’re traveling hundreds of miles between job sites and our crews have mobilized to hubs in all the different areas and are working around the clock.”