welch – Getting McDowell County’s 911 Center and Sheriff’s Office on higher and drier ground was among the challenges listed Monday when a U.S. senator visited the county and heard ideas about being better prepared for the next disaster.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., visited McDowell County and spoke with municipal and county officials about recovering from the Feb. 15 flood that devastated much of the county and other parts of southern West Virginia. After visiting Welch City Hall and speaking with Mayor Harold McBride, Capito visited the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office and the 911 center.
The sheriff’s office, located near the Elkhorn River, flooded Feb. 15 when torrential rain devastated much of the county and caused three deaths. Water reached as high as the desks.
Sheriff James “Boomer” Muncy had some photographs ready when Capito arrived so she could see how the flood destroyed thousands of dollars in law enforcement equipment.
“Relocate the 911 Center and the sheriff’s office,’ Muncy said. “We lost everything in our office.”
Muncy pointed out one photo of a fingerprinting machine which cost $40,000. The mud on it was still visible. A pair of ballistic shields – one costing $12,000 and another $5,000 – were ruined by the flood. Radios costing around $8,000 apiece were destroyed. Brand-new body cameras were destroyed as well.
“That’s about $30,000 that we lost right there,” Muncy said.
Deputies kept performing their duties and aiding flood recovery efforts while work was underway to get their headquarters back in order.
“To be honest with you, from the two weeks after the flood, I had two deputies here just cleaning up but all of our deputies were out doing recovery efforts,” Muncy said. “And then after that two weeks we were able to come back in. As you can see, we’re trying to get back on our feet now.”
Capito said there was possibilities for helping the sheriff’s office and 911 center relocate to a better site. While the flood waters did not reach the 911 center above the sheriff’s officer, there were still problems during the storm.
“I think obviously during disaster a 911 center is absolutely critical, “ Capito said after speaking with Muncy. “This building actually flooded. They did not flood upstairs, but the communications were under duress so they’re looking at relocating, which I think is really smart. We’re going to try and help them with that. There are pockets of money under Congressional Directed Spending where I’ve been able to help other 911 centers relocate, so we’re going to get together and talk about that.”
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