Hurley Flood Rescue

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I offer these remarks today to honor the bravery and selfless service of the law enforcement officers and other first responders that worked to ensure the safety of the residents of Buchanan County during the horrendous flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the small town of Hurley, Virginia, on August 30, 2021.

Their efforts saved lives and were core to rescue and recovery following the destructive power of the flood. Particularly, I honor Buchanan County Sheriff John McClanahan, Deputy Raymond Webb, Deputy Lieutenant Brandon Hall, Deputy Lieutenant Ryan Mitchell, Deputy Billy Owens, Deputy Aaron Skeens, Deputy Andy Webb, Deputy John Hagy III, and Deputy Tasha Meadows.

The excessive rainfall resulted in blocked roadways, numerous landslides, and severe flooding in the town of Hurley. There were school closures from the storm as well. All of this caused devastating damage and jeopardized the safety of many.

In the face of danger, these officers and first responders of Buchanan County displayed great heroism by rescuing a number of citizens from harm's way. The storm caused a level of flooding in Hurley which has not been seen for nearly 20 years and matched any level of devastation from a natural disaster that I have seen in the Ninth Congressional District of Virginia.

Hundreds of residents had to evacuate their homes. As many as a thousand were left without power and drinking water, and I saw roughly 20 homes that had been uprooted from their foundations. But the terrible flood was also an occasion of heroism and helping others. Besides the deputies and the sheriff, around 500 volunteers lent their time to rescue and cleanup efforts.

Mr. Speaker, let me highlight one remarkable rescue from the flooding on Monday, August 30, 2021, involving a woman trapped in her home.

The woman's mobile home had been swept off its foundation, carried downstream, and when it crashed into a railroad trestle, the home, with the woman inside of it, was caught between the raging water and the train trestle. The home would have continued further downstream if it had not been trapped at the trestle. And as officers quickly arrived on the scene, her home was already little more than rubble.

As the water thundered by and the rain continued to pour down, the trailer, surrounded by water, was precariously positioned and appeared ready to collapse completely at any moment. Amid this peril, the officers showed no regard for their own safety as they came to the rescue.

Deputy Raymond Webb was first to arrive on the scene. He crossed the railroad tracks, climbed over to where the collapsed home remained, with water raging around, and was able to cut a hole in the roof of what was left of the house.

Shortly after, Sheriff John McClanahan and Deputies Skeens, Meadows, Hall, Mitchell, Owens, Webb, and Hagy arrived at the scene to assist with the rescue. Deputy Raymond Webb tied a rope around the woman, while the rest of the officers and personnel retrieved her and pulled her out of the trailer and up to safety. Thanks to the rapid response of these officers from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, she was rescued from the battered trailer.

Mr. Speaker, this storm was devastating for the town of Hurley. In a time when the community was in great need, these officers courageously came together to do their utmost to ensure the safety and security of those who were in harm's way.

I offer my gratitude to the officers from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, as well as all the community leaders and first responders that played a hand in keeping Hurley safe on that day and the days that followed.

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