McDowell County's Forgotten Communities Devastated by Recent Flooding
“You’re the first person to come check on me” became a familiar phrase to Sydnei as she trudged into the hollers.
From Holler Watch Media:
“I’m throwing you in the deep end already, aren’t I?” Sydnei grinned as we loaded box fans to drop off at different donation points into the back of an old tan Blazer. I wasn’t too concerned about loading up a few box fans as I was that Sydnei and another photographer friend had mucked out a basement alone in hazmat suits and respirators due to a broken sewer line and spilled kerosene. Later, I would stand in that basement in 3 inches of stagnated water with a hand over my nose and mouth. She brushed off my concerns about her safety, comments sliding off like that kerosene oil sloughing against water. “Nah, I was a college athlete, I’ll be alright.”
We drove into the hollers, crossed into McDowell—into what’s called the County—and I was left with the question: “Where is everybody?”
McDowell County flooded a month ago, along with areas in Eastern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. The only difference is that McDowell County was the only area where immediate assistance was not requested. Areas in Southwestern Virginia were inundated with rescue boats, evacuation warnings, and declarations of emergency, and over 150 swiftwater rescues were reported.
When asked about communication between people and authorities before, during, and after the flooding, the answer grimly remained the same from residents—the elderly, the disabled, still working teachers, and insurance salesmen: We didn’t hear nothing from nobody. When a warning finally arrived, residents were trapped on the second floor of their houses, racing home through fast-flowing water to get to their families or fleeing to higher ground.
As of the publication of this article, the West Virginia governor’s office has not responded to a request for comment concerning flooding events, questions about possible public health crises and the unknown possibility of a disaster epidemiologist gathering health data, or questions concerning the official deployment of the National Guard.
In a since-deleted post from WVVA News, the outlet reported Governor Morrisey’s statement at a press conference in the immediate aftermath: “West Virginia was in a position to act quickly. That compares to other state that maybe have to apply for an emergency assistance because the feds had to come in and do some of the very work that we were doing and were ready to do.”
“Is it ok if I take a few pictures?” a frequently heard question that was always answered with a sure, honey or go right ahead. Sydnei took the lens cap off, explaining, “I want people to know that this [the flood] affects people, not just the things.”
She snapped photos of a mother explaining the difficulty of getting her disabled daughter, Nicole, to safety on the second floor of their flooding home and of her granddaughter standing on the porch next door, crying out for her grandmother to come help. Her voice thickened as she said, “I sat over there and cried… I couldn’t get over here. And her [Nicole] daughter comes out on the porch, I was standing out there talking… and she said, ‘Mamaw, help me.’ Oh my gosh. I had to go back in the house ‘cause that killed me out.”
The unincorporated areas like Berwind and Bartley have reported a lack of volunteers and county officials. According to online records, the National Guard remained officially unactivated by the WV governor. After speaking with a few National Guard soldiers on the road in McDowell county, members of the National Guard who have worked in the county have arrived on a volunteer basis to help clear debris and roads.
As of the writing of this article, the West Virginia National Guard PR office has not returned an official comment on whether the governor activated them or not.
Three weeks previous, the Governor announced that the National Guard or other workers would be by to pick up garbage piles, piles of family Christmas ornaments, furniture, and other unsalvageable memories. Families watched as their material life disintegrated in front of their homes. As of last week, March 10, 2025, many piles remain untouched due to the lack of proper reinforcements. It is not for lack of wanting to help, but the lack of available hands to help. With information from current residents and volunteers, the last of the National Guard left McDowell County on March 17, 2025. The remainder of the dump sites are expected the close this Friday, March 21, 2025. It is unclear where refuse will be directed after their closure.
Most volunteer efforts and relief organizations have centered in Welch, West Virginia, an incorporated town with better infrastructure and road systems than the surrounding unincorporated areas. Sydnei’s business page was once filled with gender reveals, baby announcements, family portraits, and graduation shoots. Now, on a page filled with flooding stories, moments frozen in striking black and white, Sydnei wrote on her Facebook page: “While volunteers have arrived in McDowell County with good intentions, they've concentrated their efforts in Welch. I understand that Welch deserves flood relief too, but it's in the unincorporated areas where help is desperately needed yet entirely absent. With an understaffed county government and an under-responding State, the residents of these isolated communities have simply been forgotten.”
McDowell County’s poverty rate remains at 30.9% while food insecurity rate of 22% is second only to Mingo County’s 22.5%. These attributes have only compounded since the flooding a month ago with distribution centers still running at full capacity to reach people. This data is taken from the American Community Survey (ACS) which is completed by the US Census Bureau.
“You’re the first person to come check on me” became a familiar phrase to Sydnei as she trudged into the hollers. Stopping at Berwind, Bartley, and Raysal, it became a familiar phrase to me too. As we stopped to check on recovery efforts in those areas, the resilience of each individual was evident in the homes of retired miners, still working teachers, and in the donation centers operated by local ministries and organizations. With holes in floors and ceilings, the heavy smell of mold and mildew permeating, we were welcomed at every door with an offer to come inside.
However, frustration remains evident. Last Thursday, March 13, 2025, a resident in nearby Panther, WV, was informed that a simple bottled water delivery from the armory in Welch would be unlikely as the National Guard would be leaving. Most water not from bottles remains unsafe to ingest. This has been confirmed by health department testing last week.
Roads remain covered due to landslides. Some roads are washed away completely. Some residents still have no access to electricity, running water, and adequate supplies. Garbage rots next to the roads, waiting and wasting further.
As I’m writing this, I’m still asking the same question as when I entered the County: “Where is everybody?”
Wyoming co. WV, my roots approximately 1949
Elizabeth is doing some interesting investigation on the shooting in Letcher County. https://youtube.com/@hillbillycrime?si=Mu0waxxlVZhxxgfy