And it’s still raining in West Virginia. A couple on the border between Pennsylvania and West Virginia is stuck on their family’s farm because the main road to their home was destroyed by high water and debris.
Since Friday, Autumn Vannoy and her fiancé Cliff Hamilton have been stuck at her family’s farm because the private bridge gave way. When the news station went to the farm, they did the interview over the phone from about 100 feet away, across Dunkard Creek, which was more like a fast-moving river.
“The bridge is gone. […] Knowing the struggle we’re going to have, we can’t get out,” Vannoy said. “It was just like the world stopped for me, I just literally watched the bridge turn and the metal bend and as soon as the pier slipped, all the debris just took off down the creek and then it was quiet again.”
Vannoy’s grandfather made the bridge in the 1970s. It was the only main and safe way to get to the farm.
“To get to the road, or off the property, you got to cross the creek unless you were to hike over the woods,” Vannoy said.
The bridge had stood the test of time and many storms until now. The trash that piled up during last year’s drought is what Vannoy and Hamilton say caused the bridge to fall.
Vannoy said she called the local authorities to let them know they were stuck. In case of an emergency, the local fire department planned to use a boat to get to their property. People have told them to leave, but Vannoy said that’s not a choice.
The nearby farmer’s 32 cows live on the about 140-acre farm and help keep the Vannoy’s grass short. The cows will need to be moved in a few weeks so they can get regular veterinary checks, but it’s not clear how that will be done with the bridge still down and high water expected.
Vannoy is worried about what will happen next after the bridge falls. As it rains more and the water level rises, Vannoy says, the leftover part of the bridge could fall and damage a neighbor’s bridge further downstream.
The cost of tearing down the bridge and building a new one is thousands of dollars. Vannoy said she has asked FEMA for help, but she still doesn’t know what to do or how to pay for the damage.
