In flood-damaged West Virginia, volunteers are making homes safe enough to rebuild

The first useful thing after a flood is often not a rebuilt room. It is a room made safe enough for rebuilding to begin.

In Upshur County, West Virginia, Christ in Action volunteers have spent the past week tearing out flood-damaged interiors and, in some cases, demolishing homes that cannot be saved. The work is dirty, physical and easy to overlook. It is also the difference between a family staring at an unlivable house and a family with a clear next step. 1

The July 21 flooding damaged homes and businesses across Upshur and Lewis counties. By the time My Buckhannon spoke with Sonja Degerstrom, Christ in Action's coordinator of strategic partnerships, the group had helped 15 families. Another 34 jobs were scheduled, with 17 more waiting on a final detail such as an electrical disconnect. The group's hope was to help about 70 families while remaining in the area for roughly five more weeks. 1

A flood-damaged house can look like a construction project, but the first job is often removal. Volunteers pull out drywall, flooring, insulation and other materials that cannot be salvaged or could create a mold risk. In the worst cases, the team handles a full demolition. 1

Degerstrom told the newspaper that a full demolition can save a homeowner an estimated $10,000 to $15,000, money that can instead go toward rebuilding. That figure is not a promise that recovery will be affordable. It is a reminder that disaster costs accumulate in unglamorous places: the labor to strip a house, the debris to haul away, the damaged materials that must come out before anything new can go in. 1

The people doing this work are not all from Buckhannon. Degerstrom said 14 people were consistently based at the group's camp, while the total volunteer force had reached about 26 as teams came in from around the country. The group expected to stay longer than many disaster-relief teams because some residents do not ask for help immediately, or need time to decide what has to be removed. 1

That patience matters. Disaster relief is often pictured as a rush of supplies and first responders. The slower phase is different. Someone has to return to the houses that still smell of river water. Someone has to explain why wet drywall cannot simply be left in place. Someone has to help a homeowner make a decision that feels both practical and devastating: repair this room, strip the house, or take the structure down.

A second report from WBOY showed volunteers working in a Weston home and quoted Chris Zitzmann, Christ in Action's director of operations, saying teams were providing cleanup free of charge and preparing homes for needed mold remediation. WBOY also reported that about ten volunteer groups from across the United States were still working in Upshur and Lewis counties, moving from cleanup toward rebuilding. 2

I like this story because the hope is narrow enough to trust. No one is claiming that volunteer labor erases a flood, replaces insurance, or solves a family's rebuilding costs. The offer is smaller: a team will come, assess the damage, remove what has to go and tell people where to turn if the job falls outside its reach. Christ in Action's assistance line is 571-358-9242, according to My Buckhannon. WBOY listed the local HOPE call line at 304-454-5053 for people seeking flood-recovery help. 12

That is what repair looks like before it looks hopeful: boots on wet floors, a house opened up to the studs, and strangers staying long enough to make the next decision possible.