By Blake Stowers
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Bluefield firefighter with roots to Richwood shares his story of sorrow and hope.
Bluefield Firefighter Brian Car recently went to several different areas in West Virginia to help with the flood recovery. “We went to Richwood, to Clay County, West Virginia, and Clendenin,” Car said. “We helped out cleaning up roads, helping people get supplies, just the basic necessities that people wouldn’t think that people would need. A lot of the elderly people didn’t have a way to get to their house.”
Car said he has been to the flood damaged areas twice to help with relief efforts. “I went up for 48 hours with Captain Conner and Lt. Baker,” Car said. “We covered Richwood’s area for their fire protection because their man power was so wore down that they couldn’t really do anything. Then Captain Perkins and I went to Clendenin and passed out supplies. Clendenin was probably the worst that I saw. They have a lot of supplies, it’s just getting the supplies out to the people.”
Car said that the homes are close to the Elk river in Clendenin and Clay County. “There are houses that sit right on the river bank up there,” Car said. “There’s spots that you wouldn’t think (growing up in that neck of the woods) that you wouldn’t think would get up there. It got way up there.”
Car said he felt mixed emotions from helping with the recovery efforts. “A lot of sorrow, but at the same time it brought joy to my heart to get out there and help people and see the communities come together,” Car said. “People from all over the United States have come out to help. It really brought joy, but at the same time it was devastating going into those people’s houses and seeing what they went through. Losing everything.”
Car said that he grew up in the area he was helping with. “I take so much from it,” Car said. “I stayed in Richwood. A lot of my childhood was back there. It brought back a lot of memories. It was good to get back and help that area out.”
According to Car, Bluefield firefighters have taken approximately five truck and trailer loads of supplies up to the flood damaged areas of West Virginia.
“They are still in need of stuff,” Car said. “They’re starting to get into the rebuild phase. We are still accepting supplies.”
Car said that officials at the Bluefield Fire Department will continue to accept supplies throughout the coming weeks. According to Car, people are in need of supplies like hammers, tape measures, and crow bars to help in the rebuild phase.
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(c)2016 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.)