The Federal Railroad Administration has been studying the potential of expanding Amtrak service in West Virginia, including making the Cardinal from New York and Chicago a daily train.
A PowerPoint presentation from the agency at least hints it might be considering the revival of a train that was discontinued more than 40 years ago: The Hilltopper.
That train once stopped in Bluefield, Welch and Williamson on its way from Boston and Washington, D.C., to Catlettsburg, Kentucky.
Despite the support of powerful lawmakers, including the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, the train fell to sweeping Carter administration cuts on Oct. 1, 1979.
The Federal Railroad Administration study doesn’t commit to restoring the Hilltopper but could revisit the route in the future.
William Wong, an agency spokesman, said the study “underscores a widespread desire for restoring long-distance routes and exploring the creation of new ones.”
“The study is a first step in future passenger rail planning efforts, and we look forward to continuing to refine our vision and work with partners as we design and implement an equitable long-distance passenger rail network that will tie together local economies and communities through safe and reliable rail service,” he said.
The only daily Amtrak service in West Virginia is in the Eastern Panhandle, with the Capitol Limited stopping in Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg, as well as Cumberland, Maryland.
Curtis Tate spoke with Nicolas Zegre, an associate professor of forest hydrology at West Virginia University, about what’s behind this trend.
Flood events are becoming more frequent and severe in West Virginia, causing millions of dollars in damage to property, disrupting communities and displacing lives.
Curtis Tate spoke with Nicolas Zegre, an associate professor of forest hydrology at West Virginia University (WVU), about what’s behind this trend.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tate: What makes West Virginia and Appalachia so vulnerable to severe, frequent floods?
Zegre: When we think about floods, in particular West Virginia, we have to think about them two ways. One is what we call a riverine based flood. So the larger rivers that flood when they spill over the stream, the riverbanks onto the floodplain, which of course are normally dry areas. And so when we look at flooding in West Virginia and we see that riverine flooding, there are hot spots in the Eastern Panhandle, where we see a lot of that riverine flooding, and that’s associated with the ridge and valley, the large rivers like the Potomac, that the ridge and valley topography kind of creates these really wide river valleys that provide a floodplain and we certainly have that in other parts of the state. But when we think about hot spots in the state, the Eastern Panhandle, the riverine flooding is a big problem.
But the other type of flooding we’re concerned about in West Virginia is flash flooding. And flash flooding can happen anywhere. It can happen, certainly in our small streams and our heavily dissected headwater valleys where 85 percent of our streams in West Virginia are small streams. And, of course, we know we have people living up and down just about every hollow in West Virginia.
And so we actually have two hot spots, we have a hot spot in the West Fork watershed in that Clarksburg-Bridgeport Harrison County area. And then we also see a flash flooding hot spot kind of central to Kanawha and what we refer to as kind of the southern coalfield counties. Now, that said, flash flooding and riverine flooding does happen everywhere throughout the state. But if we’re thinking about a higher propensity for flash flooding, or for riverine flooding, we do see these emerging trends on where there is a greater probability of them happening.
Tate: So for example, in the 2016 flood disaster in southern West Virginia, was it more the second type?
Zegre: It was actually both. When they started collecting stories of what the 2016 flood looked like, and from the community and the first responder perspectives, and then when we started looking at what the floods look like from a hydrology perspective, what became clear was it was a different type of flood in different parts of the Greenbrier watershed. So around Richwood and Rainelle, for example, that was more a flash flood, a wall of water moving very, very quickly downslope.
Whereas, when you were in the White Sulphur Springs and kind of Lewisburg area, it was more of a riverine flood, where the water, the river level rose and kind of spilled over and filled the wider valley. And what’s interesting, Curtis, is when you start thinking about where the damage was, and vulnerability, and also recovery, we saw very different damage and very different approaches to response and recovery in Rainelle versus White Sulphur Springs. And we can tie that back to the different types of floods. But I should say that, in the case of the 2016 flood, there were a lot of flash floods that routed downstream that also contributed to the larger riverine flood. And so we can have multiple types of floods occurring in the same event, which is going to be related to the topography and the stream channel and what all that looks like.
Tate: What’s driving the heavier rainfall?
Zegre: So heavy rainfalls are the result of a warmer atmosphere. We think of the atmosphere as like a balloon, and if you blow up the balloon in your house in January, and it’s warm inside your house, the balloon is expanded. And if you walk outside, on that cold winter day, that balloon is going to contract, walk back inside to that warm house and then the balloon is going to expand. So that’s what’s happening with warming temperatures in the atmosphere.
With a warmer temperature, the atmosphere expands, which means it can store more water. But with warmer temperatures, there’s more evaporation of water from our soils, in our trees and our rivers and our lakes. And so, more water has been put into the atmosphere and more of that water can be stored in the atmosphere. And once the atmosphere reaches saturation, we have these very heavy intense rainfalls, and so heavy rainfall and air temperature is very clearly related. In fact, for a single one degree temperature increase, a one degree Fahrenheit increase in air temperature, the atmosphere can hold 4 percent more water. And so, as the atmosphere warms, that holds more water, and it creates more rainfall.
Tate: How much does land use, whether commercial, residential or industrial, contribute to the problem?
Zegre: Whether it is, you know, what we would call an old growth forest, or a Walmart parking lot, if you drop eight to 10 inches of rain in a couple of hours, like what was experienced in eastern Kentucky, two summers ago, there’s going to be flooding in it. Our systems just aren’t designed to handle that much water. But land use activities very much affect how quickly water runs off. And so impervious surfaces associated with industrialization, associated with urbanization, and associated with the result of surface mining, all of this routes water more quickly, more water is routed more quickly off that landscape.
And so when we think about how we mitigate these effects of extreme rainfall and flooding, putting our landscape back into forests is a really important part of this conversation. But land use is a really important driver of flooding. But I should also say that, it’s really hard to detect the effects of a single neighborhood or single mine, or a single clear-cut parcel and the effect that, that has on flooding. And so we often think about this, we know how water cycles through the atmosphere and through the earth. And so what happens when you remove forests and remove soils, that water can’t be stored and that water is not removed from runoff, so all of that goes downstream.
On this West Virginia Week, we’ll hear about diabetes management and prevention. We’ll also hear about a mental health resource for first responders. We’ll hear from an author with roots in the southern coalfields. And because Halloween was this week, we’ll hear a story about a haunted boat.
On this West Virginia Week, we’ll hear about diabetes management and prevention. We’ll also hear about a mental health resource for first responders. We’ll hear from an author with roots in the southern coalfields. And because Halloween was this week, we’ll hear a story about a haunted boat.
Curtis Tate is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
This week, we hop a tiny train to discover the miniature wonders of a West Virginia model railroad club that now faces an uncertain future. We also visit Madison, West Virginia — a former coal community that’s looking to reinvent itself. And we visit a cemetery in Bluefield, Virginia and learn how racial segregation extended from cradle to the grave. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
This week, we hop a tiny train to discover the miniature wonders of a West Virginia model railroad club that now faces an uncertain future.
We also visit Madison, West Virginia — a former coal community that’s looking to reinvent itself.
And we visit a cemetery in Bluefield, Virginia and learn how racial segregation extended from cradle to the grave.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Model trains are a symbol of American childhood. You can probably picture it. A circle of track, some plastic trees, a few diecast cars sitting at the railroad crossing.
Well, the model train setup in our next story takes things to a whole different scale. Folkways Reporter Zack Harold brings us the story.
Coal Towns Look To Reinvent
Appalachia’s coal industry has had a pretty good last couple of years, all things considered. But a growing number of places have lost coal altogether. And after decades of relying on it, they’re trying to figure out what’s next.
West Virginia lawmakers established a grants commission last year, to funnel federal dollars to coalfield communities. WVPB’s Randy Yohe visited Madison, West Virginia, to hear about its efforts to build a new economy, after coal.
Appalachian Writers Workshop To Return
Last summer, torrential rains brought flooding and destruction to parts of Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Among the communities hit was the town of Hindman, Kentucky — home to the Appalachian Writer’s Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School. When the floods began, the writer’s workshop was midway through its weeklong session. Several campus buildings were damaged, but all of the students and faculty there eventually made it home safely.
The school announced plans for this year’s Appalachian Writers Workshop. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with workshop organizer Josh Mullins about the flood and the upcoming workshop.
Segregated Cemetery Remembered And Restored
Bluefield is a small town on the border of Virginia and West Virginia. For decades, on the Virginia side, graves of the Black residents who helped build the community were neglected in the town’s segregated cemetery. And it might have stayed that way if it hadn’t been for the efforts of one persistent woman whose family was buried there.
Folkways Reporter Connie Bailey Kitts reports.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Otis Gibbs, Del McCoury, Tyler Childers and Amythyst Kia.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.
You can send us an email at InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Morning, many West Virginians have found themselves caring for an aging parent. News Director found himself in that position with his mom and he didn’t know where to turn for help. So, he got to work and is bringing what he found to our broadcast. In our fourth story in Douglas’ series “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” he talks with Vicky Foster, the CEO of Kanawha Valley Senior Services.
On this West Virginia Morning, many West Virginians have found themselves caring for an aging parent. News Director found himself in that position with his mom and he didn’t know where to turn for help. So, he got to work and is bringing what he found to our broadcast. In our fourth story in Douglas’ series “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” he talks with Vicky Foster, the CEO of Kanawha Valley Senior Services.
Also, in this show, when Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 4479 last March, he established the Coalfield Communities Grant Facilitation Commission. The state is obliged to match local grants and help apply for and administer grants. Government Reporter Randy Yohe has been following this story and spent time in Madison, the Boone County seat, where they are looking forward to this commission’s help.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Tourism success in the coalfields seems to begin and end with a network of ATV trails, but it’s what’s in the middle that creates the challenges.
Tourism is a major component in southern West Virginia’s transition away from a coal based economy.
Tourism success in the coalfields seems to begin and end with a network of ATV trails, but it’s what’s in the middle that creates the challenges.
For $60 a head, Keith Gibson offers tourists visiting Matewan, West Virginia an airboat ride on the Tug River, a designated West Virginia flatwater trail.
“I worked at the coal mines,” Gibson said. “So I’ve had to relearn myself. Everything that I’m doing now is so different. Nothing like a coal mine.”
With headsets and microphones on to drown out the noise, Gibson tells his passengers tales of coal mine wars and the forbidden, feud-sparking love of Johnse Hatfield and Rosanna McCoy that began just over the Kentucky riverbank.
Randy Yohe
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Hatfield Hideaway is among a growing number of new coalfield resorts.
Gibson said many come to his airboat tour for a respite from the choking dust of the region’s popular ATV trails. But he said getting to the remote border town may call for a feud with the state legislature.
“We have to work extra hard to attract people to drive that extra 100 miles on curvy roads to get here,” Gibson said. “Then, we have to work hard to accommodate them when they are here.”
Gibson said the legislature needs to consider the challenges border counties face, with prices often lower just a bridge ride away in neighboring Kentucky. He said he was getting close to economically recovering from the pandemic, when inflation hit.
“They have to have somewhere to stay, they have to have something to eat, but they don’t have to have an airboat ride,” Gibson said. “They don’t have to have a t-shirt.”
Jamie Cantrell knows about border battles. Her Matewan Trailhead Bar and Grill is just a half mile from the Hatfield Hideout Cabin and RV Camp in McCarr, Kentucky that she also has an interest in. She said the growing tourism industry here needs much more help from the state.
“Do some stuff with the roads to help people get here,” Cantrell said. “Finish the King Coal Highway. We always need more lodging. There’s people buying up homes and putting them on AirBnB left and right. We could use more food places. Politicians need to come into Matewan and see what we have to offer and try to get us some grant money to help restore a lot of these old buildings.”
With ATV’s whizzing through the middle of downtown Matewan, an old coal mining bank building has been converted into the Mine Wars Museum. Co-founder and museum board member Wilma Steele said the organization remains dedicated to correcting revisionist history.
“When I found out the United Mine Workers, in 1920, offered equal pay for blacks and whites and their members were not discriminating against their brothers because of culture or speech or any of that, that blew me away,” Steele said. “We don’t have that history. It’s not in the textbooks.”
Randy Yohe
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
About 1,500 African American men from McDowell County enlisted in World War I.
Steele said Matewan’s growing tourism industry stems from freshly voted in city leadership and a united community effort.
“The more that you work as a team and a town to do something, the stronger you get,” Steele said. ”The Mine Wars Museum, from the very first, has been that group that has been right here working and caring about development.”
A museum not too far from Matewan, the Kimball World War I Memorial in McDowell County, sits isolated and somewhat neglected. Curator Clara Thompson said this was the first and now the only remaining memorial to African American veterans of the Great War.
“Believe it or not, we had over 1,500 soldiers to go to World War I from McDowell County,” Thompson said. “When the soldiers came back from the war, they approached the county about constructing a memorial, because the white soldiers had also asked for a memorial and so they got it. They looked to place it in the county seat at Welch but there was none to be found. So that’s how we ended up here in Kimball.”
Replete with outstanding displays, open part time and struggling to maintain board members and infrastructure, the privately-funded museum works to make ends meet with a community center downstairs offering hall and kitchen rentals. Thompson said she gets national, even global visitors, yet the local population seems unaware of its own history.
Randy Yohe
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Mine Wars Museum; the term “redneck” came from the red bandanas striking coal miners wore in solidarity.
“Why don’t the schools have the kids come here and visit this museum? That’s a part of their history,” Thompson said. “We could use funding so that we could advertise more, put out more brochures and things like that. But we don’t have funding and most grants, they ask for matching funds. Where are we going to get it from? It would be so nice if the legislature had that money already allotted to building these historic sites, so that they can do their job.”
The local representative in the legislature, Del. Ed Evans, D-McDowell, agreed the state needs to do more.
“You’re right, it is not open all the time. I don’t think there’s a full time employee,” Evans said. “We still have a large African American population here in Kimball on the hill behind us. Up the road here toward the North Fork and Keystone, you’ll find large African American populations.”
Evans said help with matching grant funds to enhance history-related tourism was an impetus for the legislature creating the Coalfield Communities Grant Facilitation Commission. Evans said the commission should be helping bolster declining coal communities like Kimball’s infrastructure and helping their memorial become a desired destination. But it hasn’t received the funding it needs to get started.
“It should have been underway immediately. The governor said he has to fund that off the back side of the budget,” Evans said. “We have plenty of backside but we haven’t funded it. I was always told it could be as much as $250 million put in there. That would be money that anybody that wants to write a grant could pull down from us for matching funds.”
Randy Yohe
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The Kimball World War I Memorial is the last of its kind in America.
Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael is the chair of the Coalfield Grant Commission. He said with much of his efforts lately going to bring major corporations to West Virginia, he hasn’t formed a commission, hasn’t found out about funding and doesn’t have a timetable. But he said he’s committed to the process.
“We will be very active and make sure that we’re getting input from the local groups and facilitating growth in those areas,” Carmichael said.
In developing southern West Virginia tourism, the ‘haves and have nots’ seem separated right now by varying degrees of private business investment, community teamwork, infrastructure development, government assistance – and the continuing transition from a coal based economy.
