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Ray Young, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in Charleston, told HD ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ reporter Sierra Marling it was the worst flood Welch has ever seen, similar to the 2022 record crest but slightly higher at 22.1 feet. At 48.4 feet, Williamson recorded the second-highest flood stage in the townÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s history, topped only by the disastrous flood of 1977.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œUpper portions of the river were rising at four feet an hour ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” which is flash flood territory ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” which rivers typically donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t do,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Young said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt was a pretty extreme event.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥�

One thing about the Tug Fork watershed is that it has no federal flood control dams to hold back runoff the way neighboring watersheds do.

The Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy has five flood control dams that protect eastern Kentucky and the Big Sandy River valley downstream from Fort Gay, and thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s one on a stream in Kentucky that feeds into the Big Sandy itself. The Guyandotte River has the R.D. Bailey Dam in Wyoming County, which protects Logan and other communities. The Kanawha River watershed has the Sutton, Summersville and Bluestone dams for protection. Twelvepole Creek, not even a river, has the East Lynn and Beech Fork dams. But the Tug Fork? None.

That could be a function of geography, that is, the lack of a suitable place to build a flood control dam, which could result in the loss of residential communities that would be inundated by the damÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s pool. Or it could be a lack of political will. Dams are expensive and are unpopular in many quarters. Or it could be that it has been determined that the cost of one or more dams exceeds their estimated economic benefits.

The lack of a viable flood control system means the Tug Fork valley will flood again, as it has before. Floodwalls, like the one at Williamson built after the 1977 flood, protect the valleyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s larger communities, but smaller ones either donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t have room for them or else they canÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t justify the cost. Thus it is incumbent on West Virginia officials to give the region extra consideration so early warning systems are in place and disaster response teams have the resources they need to be ready for the next flood. It will also be important to keep stream channels clear so runoff from the next heavy storm can flow freely and not be backed up. Officials at the state and federal levels will need to negotiate who will be responsible for those efforts.

There are no easy answers, nor are there inexpensive ones. The only sure thing is that someday another heavy rain will fall. The question is who has a plan to reduce deaths, injuries and damages, and who will pay for it.