FLOODING IN RICHLAND COMMUNITY - HOUSES AND FAMILY ENGULFED


by: Claudia Sessa

Joe Rock was forced to leave his home Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 as water levels rose. The creek which runs through his backyard stretches more than five feet towards his house.

He said his first thought was to get his family and pets out of the house and to safety.

“They were first priority,” Rock said. “Everything else is replaceable.”

When asked how it felt to come back and see his house this way, Rock was left speechless.

“I don’t know…. I don’t know yet,” Rock said.

While some areas got hit harder than others, everyone is working together to help the community begin their steps to recovery, including the National Guard. Sgt. Brenton Boone, with the 1033rd Engineer Support Company out of Cedar Bluff, VA, said since Governor Northam declared a State of Emergency, it allowed FEMA to send people down to Tazewell county.

“We’ve been going door to door, knocking on doors, talking to local citizens, checking if there’s any issues as well as any hazmat issues we need to identify with propane and things like that,” Sgt. Boone said.

Boone said approximately 50 people needed to evacuated from the Raven area Thursday night. But with the water levels receding, Boone said everything is going smoothly.

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