Transcription
Prince William, Va.
Newsstand price - 25 cents
May 10, 1989
Flash flood is 100-year type
Dumfries a disaster after flood
By Barbara Dubuc
Town of Dumfries officials and
the American Red Cross say that 15
households and businesses and the
town's newly developed Alton J.
Mountjoy ball field behind town
hall were disasterously affected in
Saturday morning's flash flood.
The flood is characterized as a
"100-year-flood" and happened in
"about five minutes," commencing
at 4:30 a.m. It completely destroyed
household goods in some of the
homes on N. Main Street and on
Mine Road. Ironically, the ball field
which has been in use, was officially
dedicated only hours after the
flood.
Mayor Robert McClanahan says
he will not be surprised if the total
damages reach the million dollar
mark. Two of the 15 affected are
believed to have flood insurance,
town officials say. Other persons interviewed
say they were unable to
obtain this coverage, and the
damage is not covered by
homeowner's insurance.
Since the flood, the town has requested
information from the
Federal Emergency Management
Association about the availability
of flood insurance. There is a
federally-backed program, Board
of Zoning Appeals adminstrator
Grant Angel says, but it is complicated
and apparently not all insurance
agents are aware that it ex-
a further helping hand. The
American Red Cross telephone
number in Dumfries is 221-2161.
"We have spent $5,000 of our
disaster funds," says Ms. Krauth.
"There is a great need for all kinds
of flooring and carpets, couches,
recliners, televisions, microwaves,
VCR's, gas stoves, dryers, home
furnaces, appliance repairs and
other items which we are not in a
position to replace."
Ms. Krauth says she is also trying
to locate Mennonite groups which
come into communities to help
See DUMFRIES, page 5
WEEKLY MESSENGER May 10, 1989 5
DUMFRIES
Continued from page 1
disaster victims.
Both the flood victims and town
officials say that the flood seemed
to occur in about five minutes'
time. Police, who had been on
watch and patrolling the area for
hours, were caught by surprise.
So were members of the extended
Bartley family who live in a row of
houses in the 300 block of N. Main
Street, stretching from the ACTS
Thrift Store to the Automotive
Foreign Parts store (AFD), owned
by Jerry Bartley.
Water measured 40 inches inside
the store, up to the fourth shelf, and
Bartley estimates his business
damages alone at $70,000 to
$80,000. His home suffered damage
as well.
Matriarch Ruby Bartley, who
lives at 302 N. Main, had been keeping
a close watch during the night.
She lost furniture and carpeting in
this flood. She is no stranger to this
kind of disaster, as her home was
flooded three times previously in
Hurricane Agnes in 1972, David in
1979, and another storm of a
forgotten name which invaded in
1975.
Her storm watch and subsequent
warning call may have saved Bedford
Bartley's father-in-law's life.
"Mr. Hall was sleeping in the
basement and when I called and
woke him, water was alreadly up to
his mattress," she says.
Geneva Bartley Redder, who
lives at 306 N. Main with her
teenage daughter, lost her living
room furniture, beds, $900 worth
of crafts, a collection of 2,000
cataloged books, 14 pair of shoes,
some never worn, carpet, $800
worth of duct work beneath the
house, food, pots and pans - virtually
everything she owned.
"We have never been able to get
flood insurance," says Ms. Redder.
All of the Bartley family's
automobiles were damaged in the
storm, as were other cars parked or
garaged along N. Main Street.
Ricky Hogsett, his wife and
children have lived at 501 Mine
Road on the edge of Quantico
Creek since January. They were
away for the weekend when waters
came up 21 inches inside his home.
"Ten feet of my newly seeded
and mulched back yard washed
down Quantico Creek and I had to
haul all of my belongings to the
dump," Hogsett said. "Luckily,
some friends came by and released
my dogs or they would have gone
into the creek too."
Hogsett estimates $15,000 in property
damage, excluding his furniture
and other personal items.
The office building at the corner
of U.S. 1 and Mine Road, where
radio station WDWC is located,
was damaged. Station owner
"Cousin Ray" reported $8,500 of
personal property lost, town official
say.Transcriber
Adam KitchenLanguage
English
