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Residents in Buchanan County still working to rebuild after two years of devastating floods

RADIO IQ | By Jeff Bossert

Published January 12, 2023 at 5:30 AM EST

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Buchanan County flooding — Water tore through the foundation of Della Prater’s house during flooding in 2021. She initially had been told that it couldn’t be repaired. But then in 2022, Butch Meredith (left), construction coordinator with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, stopped by to tell her that masons would be coming by to work on it soon.

In August of 2021, a massive flash flood hit the community of Hurley in Buchanan County, in far southwest Virginia. Six or seven inches of rain fell in just a matter of hours. Reporter Megan Schnabel is a reporter with the online news site Cardinal News. She talked with residents shortly after that flood, and has been following the story as people have tried to rebuild.

You can read more of Megan Schnabel's reporting about recovery efforts in Buchanan County here.

Hurley flood victims can contact the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for information about how to apply for state assistance.

Debbie Lester Buchanan Flood — Debbie Lester consults with Butch Meredith, construction coordinator with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, about the work that BGVA volunteers are doing on her kitchen. Photo from November 2022.