A week after Tropical Storm Helene poured rain on communities throughout the southeast, some are still without access to grocery stores, or doctors. Probably the community in Virginia most devastated by flooding is the town of Damascus.
There, the non-profit Health Wagon has been going door to door, checking on people.
You might know Damascus if you’ve ridden a bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail or hiked the Appalachian Trail.
This small community in Washington County of 700 people is surrounded by beautiful mountains, and a creek that runs through the center of downtown.
Nobody lost their lives in Damascus as a result of Helene, but many were rescued. Others remain cut off in their homes, while some who lost everything are sleeping in tents.
Mark Handy is a doctor from Abingdon, and he’s been working with the Health Wagon, to bring medical supplies and care to people in the region. “Many elderly people that cannot get out, and the roads are washed out,” Handy said. “They have no power. The devastating thing too about a lot of these people, too, they’re on oxygen, and they can’t run their concentrators. We’re trying to get them tanks up there too, as well.”
57-year-old Sheila Richardson said the medical assistance have been a welcome relief.
“And I’m just blessed,” Richardson said. “There’s good that comes out of everything.”
It’s not clear how the town can ever rebuild after this flood, or how long the recovery will take. Officials and volunteers are busy checking on residents to ensure they are safe, until roads are safer in and out of this Appalachian town.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
