The National Guard has evacuated 500 people from New Orleans to West Virginia. They’ve been taken to Camp Dawson outside of Kingwood in Preston County. That’s only 20 miles or so from my house.
I know it is small comfort to those who have had their communities destroyed and their lives overturned, but we welcome you here in West Virginia.
Camp Dawson is actually right next to a community (Albright) that was nearly obliterated in a disastrous 1985 flood. The town of Rowlesburg is also nearby and was even harder hit in that same flood. Both are on the Cheat River – a young, fast-moving, dangerous river that came in and tore the communities apart. In Albright and Rowlesburg, they will find that people here can identify with them and perhaps help them through their grief.
I hope that even though they are far away from home they can recover and take some solace in the calm and mountainous beauty of Preston County. These last days of summer are perhaps some of the best around here. The nights and days are cooler than just a few weeks prior, but the trees are still lush and green. By the end of September, the trees will start to change to brilliant golds, reds, oranges and browns. The Buckwheat Festival will also take place at the end of September – it usually rains for it, but it is a nice small town festival.
Nothing can make up for what they have lost, but maybe their time here will help give them hope.
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