On Tuesday, as Cavalier stood a short walk from Smithers City Hall overlooking damage from a devastating flood that hit her town early Monday, she rubbed the bracelet as her eyes began to water.
"It's always horrible, but this is my home. This is our town, our residents, our businesses, our neighborhood. It does feel different when you live here," Cavalier said. "But that part of the quote — about the people — by God, it could not be more true."
More than 27 entities — from the state and federal governments, as well as neighboring towns and counties — flocked to Smithers on Tuesday to help residents clean up and repair what Cavalier called "serious" damage.
Several residents near Smithers Creek saw their basements and lower floors flooded. Bridges were washed out, including the one on Carbondale Road that serves as the lone access point for people living there. Cars and construction equipment flowed down the creek, only stopping when the water slowed and lowered.
Driving through Cannelton Hollow on Tuesday afternoon, trash and debris were caught feet-high on fences around homes. Behind them, where the creek flows, mud and foliage seemed to slide down the steep, tall mountains on the other side of the water. Water seeped below some buildings, including churches, potentially damaging the foundations.
Past Smithers City Hall , at the bridged intersection of Michigan Avenue and Stockton Street , Cavalier watched as volunteers pulled a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup out of the water. It belonged to Zach Tolley, who lives up Cannelton. It was one of 14 vehicles his family lost during the flooding.
"It took 40 seconds, if that. It was quick, real quick, when the water started to rise," Tolley said. "To be honest with you, it's bad every time it rains. I've been waiting for this to happen, I knew a flood was going to come again. I didn't think I'd lose everything when it did, though."
Many of the 14 vehicles lost were show cars, Tolley said. He had rebuilt several with his father, who died in 2016. With the cars now gone, Tolley said he feels like he's lost a part of his dad again.
"That was what we did together. Everything I did with my dad, the cars we built together, it's gone," Tolley said. "Everything is gone now."
Even with the shattering material losses, Tolley acknowledged the cost could have been much greater. His wife was in a Dodge Challenger when the water started gushing down the mountainside into the rising creek. The water began to carry the car away, but she exited just in time. Tolley watched the entire thing.
"There's nothing you could do, that was just lucky," Tolley said, taking a deep breath. "We're absolutely lucky she's OK, everyone's safe."
The Tolleys, parents to a 2-month-old, also lost many of the baby's belongings. Tolley said it's going to be "a long time" before things are back to normal for them.
In 2001, when he was just 9 years old, Tolley watched dangerous floodwater rush through Smithers . Now, experiencing similar circumstances as an adult, he said he believes things will only get worse as the years go on.
Smithers Creek isn't cared for anymore, Tolley said. Historic damage to the surrounding environment — like deforestation on mountaintops and more — means water can flow faster down mountains to the creeks and rivers.
"Everything that was bad in 2001, it's worse now," he said.
Across West Virginia , floodplains expand every time a flood hits. Nearly 80,000 residential buildings statewide are located in a "Special Flood Hazard Area," according to FEMA. Just 12% of those buildings were covered by flood insurance in 2018.
Sen. Stephen Baldwin, D- Greenbrier, represents Smithers and other parts of Fayette County affected by the flood. Wide swaths of his district have been hit by flooding in recent years. Baldwin said Tuesday that flood mitigation and infrastructure to not only respond to flooding, but prevent it, needs to be made a priority in West Virginia . He said he and his colleagues in the Legislature need to act sooner, rather than later.
"We've had multiple 500-year-floods, thousand-year-floods hit us over and over. All we can really do is invest, and we need to," Baldwin said. "No one wants to talk about climate change, sure, but I don't care what terminology we use. This is happening; it's hurting our residents. It is not a political issue. Until we act on these issues, things are only going to get worse."
Across from City Hall , in the auditorium of Valley Elementary School, volunteers sorted donated items, including school supplies, food and shovels. Those staffing the makeshift emergency center said cleaning supplies were in high demand, as well as anything for babies and as much potable water as possible.
The town's centralized water system could be down for as long as a week, Cavalier said. If it does come back sooner, it will be under a boil-water advisory.
Cavalier, who has declared a local state emergency in Smithers, said she knows this won't be the end of flooding for the town. All they can do now, she said, is focus on cleaning up and getting back to normal.
Before Monday, she said, the town was in "a great place." Grant money was coming in, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve expanded tourism opportunities, and new projects were starting.
"We were starting all sorts of wonderful things for our town and those around it. We were excited, looking forward to all of it," Cavalier said. "Now, that's on hold. We'll get back to it, I know we will, because the people here deserve it."
©2022 The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, W.Va.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
