HOUSE RESOLUTION 19

(By Mr. Speaker (Mr. Armstead), Hanshaw, Ambler, Baldwin, Hill, Atkinson, Anderson, Arvon, Barrett, Bates, Blair, Boggs, Brewer, Butler, Byrd, Canestraro, Capito, Caputo, Cooper, Cowles, Criss, Dean, Deem, Diserio, Eldridge, Ellington, Espinosa, Evans, A., Evans, E., Fast, Ferro, Fleischauer, Fluharty, Folk, Foster, N., Foster, G., Frich, Sypolt, Gearheart, Hamilton, Hamrick, Harshbarger, Hartman, Hicks, Higginbotham, Hollen, Hornbuckle, Householder, Howell, Iaquinta, Isner, Kelly, Kessinger, Lane, Lewis, Longstreth, Love, Lovejoy, Lynch, Marcum, Martin, Maynard, McGeehan, Miley, Miller, C., Miller, R., Moore, Moye, Nelson, O’Neal, Overington, Paynter, Pethtel, Phillips, Pushkin, Pyles, Queen, Robinson, Rodighiero, Rohrbach, Romine, C., Romine, R., Rowan, Rowe, Shott, Sobonya, Sponaugle, Statler, Storch, Summers, Thompson, Upson, Wagner, Walters, Ward, Westfall, White, Williams, Wilson and Zatezalo)

[Introduced April 7, 2017]

Recognizing and honoring the heroic efforts of West Virginia first responders during the state’s unprecedented and historic flooding of June 2016.

Whereas, On June 23, 2016, thunderstorms brought torrential rain to much of West Virginia, resulting in accumulations of up to 10 inches in less than 24 hours in many areas. According to the National Weather Service, the rainfall qualified as a 1,000-year event for parts of Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha and Nicholas counties and the towns of Alderson, Clendenin, Rainelle, Richwood, Rupert and White Sulphur Springs; and

Whereas, In Kanawha County the Elk River crested at 33.37 feet, rising more than 27 feet in less than 24 hours, marking its highest crest in 125 years of records; and

Whereas, In Greenbrier County, seven inches of rain fell in less than three hours; and

Whereas, In addition to the torrential rain, the storms produced an EF1 tornado in Jackson County; and

Whereas, During that 24-hour period in June 2016, 23 lives were lost, thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged, dozens of roads and bridges collapsed, thousands were left homeless or without the basic necessities of life; and

Whereas, In the wake of the floods, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for 44 of the state's 55 counties. On June 25, President Barack Obama declared West Virginia a major disaster area; and

Whereas, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin also ordered the deployment of 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard. Search and rescue teams were deployed across the state to assist stranded residents. Numerous swift water and rooftop rescues were conducted. A volunteer firefighter and other residents of White Sulphur Springs used front-end loaders and other heavy machinery to move through debris-laden floodwaters during the overnight of June 23–24 to save 60 people; and

Whereas, In the immediate aftermath of the absolute devastation, destruction of property, and the loss of life caused by the June 23 flooding, the state relied on the rapid response and hard work of its firefighters, emergency medical services teams, police, rescue squads, West Virginia National Guard and emergency management officials. Despite risks to their own safety, these brave men and women entered into the depths of destruction to search for survivors and administer aid to the good citizens of the counties, who were so severely affected by the unprecedented flooding. The unyielding resolve of these men and women in the most desperate of hours served as an inspiration and a point of hope for the citizens of not only the counties and communities who were so adversely and unmercifully affected, but all citizens of West Virginia; therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Delegates:

That the House of Delegates recognizes and honors the heroic efforts of West Virginia first responders during the state’s unprecedented and historic flooding of June 2016; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to representatives of the West Virginia Fire Departments, the West Virginia Volunteer Fire Departments, the Offices of Emergency Management of the County Commissions; the West Virginia County Sheriffs’ Association, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Municipal Police Departments, the West Virginia National Guard, and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the West Virginia Municipal League.