The recent flooding in West Virginia, which dumped 10 inches of rain in less than six hours, claimed 23 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes. Two of the surviving victims were Jackie Runion and her 10-month-old daughter, Maria. When the waters crested, only four feet of Runion’s home were above water and her vehicle was completely submerged. Her home and all her possessions were a total loss, according to Charleston Director Jim Sands. Runion’s home, like some 2,000 others, was in an elevated area and not in a flood zone, therefore she did not have flood insurance. To help, the Charleston facility adopted the Runion family to ease the recovery process. Sands (left) is shown presenting Runion with a $500 gift card to Walmart. The efforts of the Charleston program also extended deeper into the community by collecting huge amounts of flood relief supplies. (Related stories Pages 1 and 3.)
