War announces countywide flood mitigation meetings for McDowell County

McDowell County families who have watched floodwater cut off roads, homes and schools will get two chances in May to push for the next round of protection work, from drainage fixes to stronger stream cleanup and warning systems. The city of War posted notice of the McDowell County Flood Mitigation Action Strategy Community Meetings on April 23, and county residents now have a direct say in which places should be protected first.

The meetings are part of a countywide strategy now being developed by the West Virginia Conservation Agency with Tetra Tech and local municipal partners. State officials have said public input is being encouraged to shape practical, locally informed actions that reduce flood damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure and critical services. That means residents can still press for attention to flood-prone roads, bridge approaches, neighborhoods that flood repeatedly, and public facilities that become inaccessible when water rises.

Two sessions are scheduled for May 5 at the Welch National Guard Armory, with options at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Two more will follow on May 7 at the Big Creek Gymnasium in Bus Aly, War, WV 24892, also at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The schedule shows the effort is being designed as a countywide planning process, not a one-city meeting, with War, Welch and surrounding communities all tied to the same road network and recovery system.

The urgency is hard to miss. A 2024 county risk assessment said 45% of McDowell County’s population lives in high-risk floodplains, the highest ratio in West Virginia. The county has suffered severe flooding in 1977, 2001, 2002 and 2025, with the Tug Fork reaching 19.77 feet on July 8, 2001 and cresting at 22.10 feet on May 2, 2002. After the February 2025 flood, the county commission called it the worst in recorded history, surpassing the 1977 disaster.

The planning also comes as state leaders have moved flood recovery and utility resilience higher on the agenda. On February 13, Governor Patrick Morrisey announced $9.5 million in AMLER grants for five water and sewer infrastructure projects in McDowell and Mingo counties, along with a statewide flood warning pilot program called SENTRY Flood Warning. McDowell County Commissioner Michael Brooks has also argued publicly for stream dredging as a flood-protection measure, a reminder that the county’s strategy could end up combining drainage work, stream restoration, warning systems and larger capital projects.

For residents who have lived through repeated high water, the May meetings are about more than process. They are a chance to influence which roads, neighborhoods and public facilities are first in line for protection, and which projects get funding before the next storm arrives.