ANSTED, W.Va. — As West Virginians continued surveying damage in a state so devastated by floods that one said her community “smelled like death,” residents braced for the prospect of more rain.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for at least 25 West Virginia counties on Monday. Heavy rains were possible in many areas already ravaged by last week’s floods that have killed 24 people statewide.
The forecast also includes hardest-hit Greenbrier County, where 16 people have died and floodwaters have yet to recede.
Dozens of residents of flooded-out Rainelle remained Sunday at a shelter more than 25 miles away at the Ansted Baptist Church, where singing from inside mixed with the bustle of activity outside.
The church’s gymnasium has been converted to a shelter. The church also is a drop-off point for donated goods as well as a makeshift kennel for dog owners.
For now, it’s home for Jerry Reynolds, his wife, Janice, and his brother, Marcus Reynolds.
