This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.
Inside Appalachia: Major General James A. Hoyer Discusses a Year of Recovery
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Inside Appalachia co-producer and host Jessica Lilly sat down with Major General James A. Hoyer of the WV National Guard to discuss the year of recovery that West Virginia faced since the flooding of June 2016. Parts of this interview are included in a special TV show, “Inside Appalachia: A Year of Recovery.” You can watch the show Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. on WVPB or listen on radio.
In June 2016, floodwaters ravaged parts of West Virginia. Forty-four of the state’s 55 counties were in a state of emergency and 12 counties were declared federal disaster areas. Water carved a path of destruction unseen in generations – earning the title of the 1,000 Year Flood. Twenty-three deaths were attributed to the flood.
Watch the full interview here:
At the height of this disaster, FEMA received about 9,000 applications for assistance. In this interview, Major General James A. Hoyer says W.Va. is doing “pretty good” in the recovery process.
"We are in one lap of a very long race and we’ve got a long way to go… We owe it to the people who lost their lives and the people who were impacted by this to do it right and to do it effectively and to do it in a way that we are a better state and we are better communities than before the flood happened," Major General Hoyer said.
While there are several counties mostly back to normal, Hoyer says there are some areas that still have a long way to go. Areas that still have the most work left to do include parts of Nicholas, Kanawha, Greenbrier, and Clay Counties.
Benefits of the Flood
The West Virginia National Guard has been overseeing the FEMA demolition project. Hoyer says in connection with some state funding, the FEMA demolition project has provided the resources to take care of existing issues with abandoned buildings.
FEMA Demolition Project By Numbers
about 750 applications to request demolition
about 600 of those have been certified eligible
about 300 have been removed
Hundreds of homes have been rebuilt (with help from donated labor, funds, etc.)
Readying for the Next Disaster
Major General Hoyer told Jessica Lilly that several guards people were impacted by the flood. This created a unique challenge because they often wouldn’t take the time to off to work on their own needs.
Since the flood, the West Virginia National Guard has updated a few strategies in disaster relief.
More swift water rescue training
Updated social media management strategies
Updated information management strategies
Commitment to embed reporters during relief
Increasing donation management assistance
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Indigenous people created hundreds of earthen monuments in what is now Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. John E. Hancock, a professor of architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati, spent years studying these earthworks. He published a guidebook for visiting them. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch spoke with Hancock about the book.
