Published November 1986 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Remembering the West Virginia Flood One year ago this month, West Virginia was struck by one of the most devastating floods in its history. Dozens of lives were lost, livelihoods were destroyed, and property damage soared into the hundreds of millions of dollars. West Virginia will bear the scars of the November 1985 flood for years to come, but as we remember the terrible ordeal of the disaster, what stands out most is the way in which West Virginians pulled together to help each other. I visited many of the hardest hit communities in West Virginia immediately after the flood, and I saw first-hand not only the massive destruction of land and property but also the courage and compassion of West Virginians responding to the disaster. My highest priority goal as a Senator from West Virginia in the weeks and months following the flood was to do everything possible to speed federal assistance to the victims of the flood. To achieve that goal, I brought federal disaster relief officials with me into West Virginia on a number of trips so that they could see and comprehend the devastation, and take steps to help the state recover. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I fought for millions of dollars in emergency relief money for West Virginia, including funding to re-channel streams and enhance flood protection, repair roads and bridges, and provide loans and grants to families and businesses. Over and over again, I pressed my case in the Senate for additional funding for West Virginia to help meet the staggering cost of the flood recovery effort. As of a few weeks ago, the federal government had obligated more than $325 million in disaster assistance for West Virginia. And when I found instances in which the federal bureaucracy was dragging its feet and delaying the recovery effort with needless red tape, I dealt with the officials in charge and removed the roadblocks. But no matter how thorough or well-intentioned the effort by federal, state, and local disaster relief workers, it is inevitable that some flood victims continue to face obstacles to full recovery. If you or someone you know still needs help in dealing with a federal agency in regard to a flood-related problem, please let me know. Write to me: U. S. Senator Robert C. Byrd; United States Senate; Washington, D.C., 20510, and I will do my best to be helpful. As we mark the anniversary of the West Virginia flood, it is encouraging to remember that West Virginians can and will continue to pull together to help one another. November 1, 1986