WESTOVER— Diana Moore woke up Thursday night, and within minutes learned her Westover home was uninhabitable.
She had been asleep on the couch and awoke about 9 p.m. to gurgling noises coming from her bathroom. She checked on the noise and noticed it was coming from her toilet, but didn’t think much of it at the time. She knew it had been raining earlier and checked outside, where she noticed water had risen above her front porch. She grew weary, but it wasn’t until she entered her kitchen that she realized something was wrong.
“I went to the side where my kitchen is and the water started to come in,” she said.
She dialed 911 and told the operator water was coming in fast and had risen about an inch. Within a few moments, her weariness turned to fear as water began leaking from her front door. Soon, the water rose above her ankles.
“When I went out, you couldn’t see any grass anywhere,” Moore said. “It was just the few minutes of being at the front door and checking the back window and then going to the other door. It was just a sea of dirty water.”
Moore along with her neighbor, Katelyn Eichelberger, who also lost her home to the flooding, went to Monday night’s Westover City Council meeting to share their stories.
“I am living out of bags and my neighbors are living out of bags,” Eichelberger said. “I’m here to find a solution. A solution from Westover or whoever.”
During the citizen’s comment section, Eichelberger said access to aid had been limited to filing a claim for damages through Mecca 911 and receiving about $500 in assistance from the Red Cross.
Unless the Monongalia County Commission declares a state of emergency, affected residents do not qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); however, damages must first add up to $2.9 million before assistance can be dispersed— damages Moore and Eichelberger are doubtful will amount to.
Mecca 911 is hopeful that if the Division of Highways incorporates its damages into the total, the $2.9 million minimum could become attainable.
Eichelberger said although she is grateful for the assistance and for the efforts being put towards becoming eligible for FEMA, she wants to see more done by the city to help residents in need.
Following her comments to council, Eichelberger asked council members if they had any questions for her. Because council has a policy against responding to citizens’ comments during meetings, Mayor Dave Johnson said Eichelberger was welcome to reach out to him today for further discussion.
“I mentioned I had sewage issues, I have sewage backup, I lost my home,” Eichelberger said. “They flat out would not respond to me.”
Johnson said the city has been providing residents who experienced flood damage a free pickup service to haul away any damaged goods. Alternative housing is not currently being provided by the city. For those impacted by flooding, the City of Westover encourages residents to visit mecca911.org to complete an initial damage assessment form. Assistance with the form can be provided by contacting city hall at 305-296-6860.
The next Westover council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 16.
