By Mary King, Editor
From the November 7, 1985 edition of The Salem Times-Register
Salem residents have spent the past several days salvaging what they can of homes and businesses in the wake of Monday’s flash flooding which devastated some areas of the city and left others with only minor water damage. It is being called the worst flood to hit the Roanoke Valley since records have been kept.
Many residents who lived along the Mason’s Creek and Roanoke River areas are still homeless. Many are seeking help in finding places to live.
Salem City Manager William J. Paxton Jr. said the city is looking at between $30 million and $35 million in damages to personal property, real estate, utilities, bridges, streets, sewer lines, and fire equipment.
On Tuesday, City Council passed a resolution declaring Salem in a state of emergency in the hopes of receiving some disaster aid from state and federal governments.
Gov. Chuck Robb toured the city Wednesday, assessing damages for a report he will send to the federal government.
“We are optimistic about receiving some type of funds,” Paxton said, “but the city will not know anything until next week.”
According to Assistant City Manager Randy Smith, preliminary reports have estimated that 50 percent of the homes in Salem were affected by the flood. Of those homes affected, at least 12 were totally destroyed, 1,0000 received major damage and 5,000 received minor damage. Smith said 150 mobile homes were destroyed, 50 received major damage and 50 received minor damage. Approximately 200 apartment units received heavy damage or were totally destroyed and another 100 received minor damage.
Automobiles were also hard hit by the flood and Smith has estimated that 100 were totally destroyed, 200 received major damages and 100 received minor damage.
Smith said the city has not been able to determine the amount of loss to business and industry. He said the city’s estimate of between $30 and $35 million din damages could double once business losses are determined.
“We will push for a federal declaration of disaster from the president,” Smith said. “If this goes through, those people who experienced losses could apply for low interest loans.”
River banks and creeks overflowed Monday after nearly a week of rain. On Monday alone, 6.61 inches fell on the Roanoke Valley-a record for a 24-hour period.
Salem police said calls began coming in at 9:49 Monday morning.
“It just hit. We had no warning other than a flash flood watch,” said Salem Police Chief Harry Haskins. He said the office was deluged with calls ranging from evacuation requests to concerns about missing friends and relatives. “We were giving the rescue three calls at a time,” Haskins said. “The majority of them were evacuation calls.”
One rescue took place on Kessler Mill Road where flood waters rom Mason’s Creek crumbled a wall at the Roanoke Fashions Co. Mill. Four rescue workers in a boat were trying to evacuate 62 people trapped inside the building when the wall crumbled and knocked one worker overboard.
Joe Cunningham was swept down the creek by a swift current, Chief Haskins said.
He said two Life-Guard 10 helicopters from Roanoke Memorial Hospital searched the river but did not see Cunnigham. The worker was presumed dead until he was seen four hours later wading ashore several miles downstream. Haskins said Cunnigham had managed to catch hold of a tree limb and hang on until the waters receded enough for him to wade ashore.
Most of the 62 people trapped inside the building were rescued from the roof by helicopters, while others were led across the water by ropes.
Firefighters inside the helicopters lowered ladders to the roof so the people could climb aboard. Two people were rescued at a time ad lowered across the street at Lakeside Amusement Park. All 62 were rescued without injury.
Lakeside Amusement Park also received considerable damage estimated at between $1 million and $1.5 million.
Company spokesman says they’re doubtful the park will ever reopen.
On the other side of town, employees of the Grand Piano warehouse on West Main Street had to be rescued from the roof of that building when water quickly flooded the building and surrounding property. Further up Main Street an elderly couple has to be rescued from the second story of their two-story brick home after the first floor was flooded.
Sgt. Reggie Gray of the Salem Police force swam in flood waters at the Salem Mobile Home Park on Boulevard Street to rescue an elderly woman whose trailer was filed with water up to the ceiling. She was suffering from hypothermia.
Residents of the Willow River Apartments on Route 419 also had to be recused from their homes when the Roanoke River broke its banks.
Fifty residents were evacuated after the water totally submerged the first-floor units and partially covered the second floor. Only the third floors escaped damage.
Both the fire and police department called in off-duty personnel Monday to assist in rescue efforts. Fire Chief Ronald Hartmann said he had about 30 men working Monday, and Chief Haskins said he had about two-thirds of his police force out on the streets.
“When you have 30 t0 40 calls a day like we had on Monday, it really taxes our men and equipment, but we got through it all right. Our men put in long hours and did a good job.”
By press time Wednesday, no deaths had been reported in Salem, and no missing claims had been filed.
Haskins said police officers along with aid from the National Guard of Christiansburg spent all day Tuesday combing Horner’s Creek, Mason’s Creek and the Roanoke River.
He said they searched flooded cars and homes, but found no bodies.
“It has been a very effective search effort,” Haskins said. “We will continue searching until all areas have been covered.”
Haskins said he appreciates the aid of volunteers who risked their lives to save people trapped in flooded homes and buildings. “We had some real heroics,” Haskins said.
He said Joe F. Hale and his son from Dublin brought their boat to Salem to help rescue 30 to 40 people from the flooded Ramey’s Trailor Park and the Salem Mobile Home Village.
“The people have been super great,” Haskins said.
The American Red Cross set up a relief shelter at the Salem Civic Center Monday and had 239 people to spend the night. Many returned to their homes Tuesday to salvage what they could, but Red Cross Worker Peg Gladwin said most would have to return Tuesday night.
“An awful lot have lost their homes,” Gladwin said. “They lost everything. They don’t have much t go back to.”
Gladwin said the shelter will remain open until the people have found places to go.
Those who didn’t seek help from shelters, have turned to relatives and friends for a place to stay.
Donna Yopp, her husband and three children are staying at her mother’s home. They are sleeping on couches and floors. The Yopp’s, who lived at the Bonneville Mobile Home Park of West Main Street near Lakeside, lost almost everything to the flood when Mason’s Creek crested. The trailer they were renting from Richard Hess was destroyed.
When the Yopp’s returned to their home Tuesday, mud was caked inches deep on floors, walls, beds, couches, appliances and inside cabinets, clothing drawers and their dryer. A water bed they had paid off recently was totally destroyed. Other furniture the family is still paying on, they will try to salvage.
The Yopp’s will stay with Mrs. Yopp’s mother until the find a new place to stay, but say they desperately need a place of their own.
Further down the road, across from Lakeside, a small plaza housing Kroger, Super-X and Charter Federal Bank was also flooded by the overflow from Mason’ Creek.
The damage forced the merchants to close on Tuesday as frantic efforts failed to remove much of the debris.
“We expect to be open sometime on Wednesday,” said an optimistic Donald Wiseman, the manager of Kroger’s, who along with several employees had worked through the night to clean the store. “It’s just the mud and the water. It’s everywhere.”
AT Charter Federal Manager Judy Dillon just shook her head in disbelief while surveying the damage. “We have not had the claims adjuster see us. Right now, we are just trying to get the mud off the walls and carpet. I would hope to open Wednesday, but I don’t think we will make it,” said Dillon.
Dillon and Wiseman agreed that the severity of the damage was due to the nature of the flood. “At first, I didn’t think it (flash flood) would happen, but after the creek crested and went over the hill, well that wawas it. We didn’t have much time to react.” Said Wiseman.
“It happened so fast,” said Dillon. “Suddenly the water started coming up the back and sides. We tried to stop it but you couldn’t. We moved our cars and tried to get our equipment unplugged and put away, but in a matter of minutes it was foot inside the building. I have always watched the national news and seen the total devastation and now it has happened to us.”
Salem schools fared well during the flood with only the basement at G.W. Carver Elementary School receiving some leakage.
“We kept the students in school until we could get them home,” Superintendent of Schools Walter Hunt said. He said the buses were clear by 6 p.m. with the children at East Salem being taken to the Salem Civic Center because of flooded homes at Ramey Trailor Court, Bonneville and Willow River. Schools were closed Tuesday, but reopened on a regular schedule Wednesday.
Salem police and firefighters are still answering calls relating to flooded basements and electrical problems.
Chief Haskins said the police department is keeping a close watch over the devastated areas at night toward off looters.
(Information for this story was also supplied by Staff Writer Agnis Chakravorty.)
-Prepared by Shelly Koon
