The assistant fire chief in Triadelphia wants to send a message to village residents: Their relief supplies are still available at the command post at the volunteer fire department.
Kera Allietta believes there’s confusion in town because residents have heard reports of the command post at Riesbeck’s Food Market in Elm Grove closing, and many believe that’s where their relief supplies were distributed from since Sunday.
Not true, reported the assistant fire chief.
“I know people are concerned about getting the help they need because our residents need everything right now,” Allietta said. “They need to know all of the help is going to continue coming to them because it’s all been coming from the Triadelphia Fire Department since Sunday.
“The command post at Riesbeck’s was specifically for Wheeling Fire’s search and rescue operations and it was never running our operations here in Triadelphia,” she explained. “Search and rescue in Triadelphia is not operational right now because of water levels, and they won’t start again in our area until the water recedes, and we find more vehicles. Wheeling is concentrating on the Tunnel Green area today.”
Why the confusion?
“Right now, I think the misconception was that the command center at Riesbeck’s was controlling the operations in Triadelphia, but that’s been taking place at Station 60 since Sunday after the flood,” Allietta said. “Every day, we’ve had a tremendous amount of volunteers coming to the station on their side-by-sides, and they are working with the United Methodist Church to distribute all of the supplies.
“They’ve been distributing food, water, hygiene kits, and whatever else our people have needed here,” she explained. “Yesterday, we made a big push for people to fill out the damage reports using the QR code and for FEMA registration. If people don’t understand how to use the QR codes, they can call us and we’ll help them with it. It’s really important they participate and I know a lot of our residents are.”
‘It’s Time for Demolition’
The flash flooding has claimed eight lives with one still missing as of this morning. The eighth victim was recovered Tuesday evening but has not yet been identified. The names of seven victims have been released by the Ohio County Sheriff Office, and they include:
Connie Veronis, 74, Moundsville, WV
Michael Veronis, 74, Moundsville, WV
Lisa McMasters, 59, Triadelphia, WV
Michael Bokanovich, 73, Triadelphia, WV
Kyleigh Minch Shotton, 26, Triadelphia, WV
Parker Shotton, 3, Triadelphia, WV
Travis Creighton, 19, Triadelphia, WV
According to the National Weather Service, approximately 4.5 inches of rain fell in 35 minutes on the eastern side of Ohio County, and the wild run-off waters also caused unthinkable damage to homes and businesses in the village of Triadelphia.
“There are houses that are gone. Just gone, and all that’s left are the foundations or the concrete slabs,” Allietta said. “And there are a lot of homes that moved in the water, and now a lot of the homeowners are gutting their houses to get rid of the wet materials. First, it was the furniture and the debris, but now a lot of the homes have to be stripped down. Now it’s time for demolition.
“The National Guard has been absolutely tremendous,” the assistant fire chief said. “They have gone up and down National Road cleaning and collecting. And the people of this valley have been absolutely tremendous. It’s been absolutely amazing, and I’m going to tell you something – I don’t think people recognize the strength and the motivation of the volunteers in this valley. The volunteer fire departments from all over have been here and they have treated us like their own towns.”
If residents still need assistance with demo or with removing debris for their properties, the help – once again – is available at the command center at the Volunteer Fire Department.
“We have had several people reach out to us daily who have equipment and want to help, so if people let us know they need that kind of work done on their properties, we’ll know how to direct those volunteers,” Allietta said. “They just can’t just drive into town and start doing things. It has to be coordinated, so those people who need that equipment should come to the fire station and let us know.
“The Triadelphia command post is at the fire station, so please come there to connect to the resources you need,” she repeated. “If people want to help, come there, too, so we can help you find an area where your help is needed.”
(Photos provided by Kera Allietta, assistant fire chief of the Triadelphia Volunteer Fire Department.)
