Community Bulletin
WVU Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital's Center for Women's Health has opened its 2026 prenatal and pregnancy classes — including Spinning Babies, breastfeeding basics and Lamaze — for expecting Upshur County families, with Lamaze offered in person or online. Read more →
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BUCKHANNON – The Buckhannon-Upshur community is still reeling from the unprecedented floods, but recovery efforts are ongoing.
Representatives from the city and county laid out their plans to tackle some of the challenges from the flooding last week. Buckhannon city recorder Randy Sanders said he and everyone at the city appreciate everyone’s efforts to donate items for those in need, but what they really need now are volunteers.
“A lot of our weekend volunteers have had to go back to work, so we’re working to try to find a way to distribute some of these supplies out to the communities,” Sanders said Monday.
City services are operating normally, and for those residents who lost a city-issued trash can in the floods, Sanders recommended calling the utilities department at city hall — they will walk you through the process to replace it.
“What we’re doing right now is trying to provide support where possible to the West Virginia Army National Guard for debris sorting and transportation. We are supporting the distribution center of donated items to try to keep the volume contained and moved to the appropriate locations,” Sanders said. “The other thing is to help where and when possible with the debris removal process, whether that means helping sort at the dump site, helping transport, or at some point helping retrieve items from sidewalks and property lines.”
Sanders also said none of the roads in the city should still be closed as a result of flooding.
“Roads may be closed for other reasons, like East Lincoln Street has some disruption of traffic flow because Frontier Communications is working on a major repair underneath the ground there,” Sanders said. “Otherwise, we might temporarily close a street for some work, but we’re keeping our streets open as much as possible.”
Upshur County Commission president Kristie Tenney said they have officially transitioned from emergency response to long-term recovery operations.
“Cleanup efforts will continue throughout Upshur County as we work alongside our city, state, and federal partners to help our residents recover, and while there is still much work ahead, we remain committed to supporting our communities every step of the way,” Tenney said. “Before anything else, we want to express our heartfelt sympathy to every family, business owner, and resident who has been impacted by this devastating flood. We are especially heartbroken for the families who lost loved ones. There are no words that can ease that kind of loss, but please know our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with you.”
Tenney said the county’s priorities in the coming days and weeks will include continuing debris removal, assisting residents with cleanup, completing damage assessments, coordinating with state and federal agencies, and ensuring essential resources remain available.
“County, state, and federal officials continue to assess damages across our communities. If state and federal disaster assistance becomes available, information will be shared immediately through official channels,” Tenney said. “If your home, business, or vehicle sustained damage, we encourage you to take photos and videos of all damage, keep receipts for cleanup and emergency expenses, report your damages if you have not already done so through the county’s damage assessment process, and contact your insurance company as soon as possible.”
Tenney also asked the community to be patient as recovery efforts continue.
“Our National Guard members, first responders, road crews, volunteers, and emergency personnel are working tirelessly across the county,” Tenney said. “They are covering a large area and are doing everything they can to reach every community as quickly and safely as possible.
If you are able, please place flood debris neatly at the curb where it can be safely accessed by cleanup crews. Please avoid blocking roadways, fire hydrants, or utility access so collection efforts can continue as efficiently as possible.”
She said she was encouraged to see the city, county and other entities work so well together to help the community.
“Recovery has truly been a joint effort, with local governments, emergency responders, volunteers, churches, businesses, neighboring communities, organizations, and residents all coming together to help those in need,” Tenney said. “That partnership has made a tremendous difference, and we will continue working together until our communities have recovered.”
Tenney thanked the out-of-state and local support everyone has seen during this unprecedented event.
“We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has stepped up during this difficult time. We are incredibly thankful for our first responders, the National Guard, city and county employees, emergency personnel, volunteers, churches, businesses, neighboring communities, organizations, and every resident who has offered a helping hand,” Tenney said. “Your compassion, generosity, and willingness to serve have made an incredible impact. Upshur County has shown what it means to come together in a time of need, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
