1985 Election Day Flood: A Disaster Beyond Expectations
Rick Felton, a CSX brakeman, was no stranger to the sound of metal on metal, but nothing could have prepared him for the shriek that filled the night before the Election Day Flood of November 5, 1985.
The flood was a result of Hurricane Juan, which had spiraled down to a tropical depression, merging with another storm system over the Mid-Atlantic.
This disaster would claim the lives of 47 West Virginians, with their bodies being pulled from the rivers and the rubble of ruined towns, and result in damages exceeding $700 million in the Mountain State alone.
That's when people started realizing they were in for it. That's when Hurricane Juan decided it wasn't going gentle.
The storm's impact was massive, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in its wake.
Author's summary: The 1985 Election Day Flood was a devastating disaster that caused massive destruction and loss of life in West Virginia.