ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602050090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STANARDSVILLE
SOURCE: Associated Press
A group of Greene County residents is preparing to send food and clothing to victims of flooding last month in West Virginia, the same people who helped flooded Virginians last summer.
Melting snow and heavy rain caused the Greenbrier River to flood Jan. 19, damaging or destroying 282 of the 532 houses in Marlinton, W.Va. The grocery and hardware stores were washed away.
In June, when days of unrelenting heavy rain caused deadly flooding in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, some Marlinton men helped clean up Greene County, said Bob Weaver, an organizer of the effort to aid West Virginia's flood victims.
Construction workers from Marlinton were working for Eavers Construction Co., based about 35 miles away in Staunton when the small Greene County community of Middle River flooded. The West Virginians helped dig out the community, including the Shiloh Church of the Brethren.
``We had $50,000 damage to church property, and those guys really worked with us,'' said Richard A. Lamb, church treasurer. ``Whenever they could, they helped us with their backhoes. Some of those guys were here working 10 to 12 hours a day, six and seven days a week.''
Marlinton Mayor Jean Hite said last month's storm caused $21 million worth of damage to her town, not counting destruction to local roads.
So when last summer's flood rescuers became flood victims, Greene County's residents remembered.
``My heart went out to them,'' Weaver said. ``These guys came and dug us out, and they kept a smile on their face. We'd like to return the favor.''
Lamb and Weaver say the West Virginians need winter clothes, canned food, thermal underwear, space heaters, water pumps, small appliances, furniture and money.
Lamb said relief organizers will accept supplies today and Feb. 10-11 at the old post office in Stanardsville.
United Parcel Service, where Weaver works, has lent a truck to take the supplies to West Virginia. Sheriff's deputies, social service workers and church members have volunteered to help collect and load the supplies.
``I'd like for every family in Greene to give one dollar,'' Weaver said. ``That's the price of one lottery ticket, and we throw that away every week anyway.''
``I'd also like to challenge other towns in Virginia to adopt a town over there and help out.''
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB