More Guard Troops Sent to Flooded W.Va.

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By Brian Farkas

Associated Press
Monday, May 11, 2009

GILBERT, W.Va., May 10 -- West Virginia's governor activated 300 more National Guard troops Sunday, sending them to help residents in the southern part of the state recover from weekend flooding that destroyed at least 300 buildings, knocked out power and caused mudslides.

Gov. Joe Manchin III (D) had called up 30 troops on Saturday, when he declared a state of emergency for six counties, said Robert Jelacic, a Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesman.

"Since I have been governor, the damage that was caused by the flash floods and rain is as bad as I have seen anywhere," Manchin said in a statement.

Assessments show Mingo County was hardest hit by flooding, after downpours dumped several inches of rain Friday and Saturday. It had about 300 structures destroyed, 1,000 with major damage and 2,000 with minor damage. Wyoming County had 150 structures with major damage. Boone, Logan, McDowell and Raleigh counties were also under the state of emergency.

No injuries have been reported, and seven miners trapped underground because of high water were able to walk out of the Mountaineer Alma mine near Wharncliffe on Sunday morning, Jelacic said.

In Gilbert, a town of about 400 people, Mayor Vivian Livingood estimated that 80 percent of the town's businesses were affected by high water. Donations of money, supplies and food were pouring into the town, Livingood said. Although the water plant is working, she said residents were advised to boil tap water before drinking it because mud got into the water system.

The deadly storms were also blamed for at least seven deaths in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Kansas. They knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers in Illinois and Missouri.