Hope all our West Virginia Studebaker owners escaped all the flooding

[clonelark]

I know we have several West Virginia Studebaker owners, i sure hope they made it out OK. My Street Rodder Cousin in Lake Isabella Ca. got lucky with the fires there, his neighbor across the street lost his house. That was too close.

[Dave Bates]

The reports I read were that the northern and eastern panhandles had no flooding.We had no flooding in the Parkersburg area,but there was just 25 miles south.

[jclary]

Most of my visits to West Virginia have come from the high perch of a truck seat. Shortly after returning from Vietnam, and before getting into college, I drove 18 wheelers. My very first visit to the state was delivering brand new trailers from the Great Dane manufacturing plant in Savannah Georgia, to Parkersburg. Back then, the West Virginia Turnpike was a harrowing, mostly, two lane road full of switchbacks, and hairpin curves. That was before Turbo Diesels were the norm.

Years later, partnering with my Brother, in a freight expediting business, Box trucks with cab mounted sleepers, found me traversing the state again. The mountainous regions have always amazed me of how whole towns are located in what appears to be lower regions of mountain valleys, where creeks, and rivers abound. Beautiful state, but pretty unforgiving when those extraordinary epic rains and subsequent flooding occurs.

Let's remember, when coal was discovered, it was mined for home heat and the advent of the Steam era, to feed the boilers of Steam powered ships and trains. There were no cars, so the coal miners had to live near where they worked. It made sense to build the communities (and towns) within walking distance. There were epic floods 'back in the day," but now, with paved roads, subdivisions, etc., rainwater has fewer places to soak-in, and increased population puts more people in flood danger. Couple that, with camera's everywhere, and the exposure is multiplied.

Last I heard was 25 deaths and several unaccounted...Sad enough situation, Studebaker folks or not.

[Bill Pressler]

Hoping Paul Johnson is OK, too.

We were in Savannah last week and on Thursday night had hotel reservations in Princeton, WV. Probably 30 or 40 miles south of there, in VA, the torrential downpours started, and then it got dark quickly. I have never been happier to arrive at a hotel as I was when we got to Princeton. The woman who checked us in said she'd been told that at the competing hotel next door, someone had been struck by lightning in the parking lot that evening.

When we woke up Friday morning, we heard the news reports, particularly at the Greenbrier and in the town of White Sulphur Springs.

I'll say this, I know people knock WV, but it was by-far the most beautiful scenic drive of our entire trip from NE OH to Savannah, GA.

[53k]

Hoping Paul Johnson is OK, too.

We were in Savannah last week and on Thursday night had hotel reservations in Princeton, WV. Probably 30 or 40 miles south of there, in VA, the torrential downpours started, and then it got dark quickly. I have never been happier to arrive at a hotel as I was when we got to Princeton. The woman who checked us in said she'd been told that at the competing hotel next door, someone had been struck by lightning in the parking lot that evening.

When we woke up Friday morning, we heard the news reports, particularly at the Greenbrier and in the town of White Sulphur Springs.

I'll say this, I know people knock WV, but it was by-far the most beautiful scenic drive of our entire trip from NE OH to Savannah, GA.

Thanks for the kind words. We are fine, didn't even get an inch of rain in our part of the state (Eastern Panhandle). We're about 150-200 miles north of the bad area. I think most of the Studebaker folks in WV are high and dry. The only one I know of who lives in a flood area, White Sulphur Springs, is a woman who has a '56 Golden Hawk. I don't think she lives in the valley though.
WV has a lot of problems, but as you say, it is a beautiful state- great state parks, lots of history, great scenery and more.

[StudeNewby]

You won't hear us knock WV. My wife lived in the Charleston area for years. Her two sons still live there and are ok, but we still haven't heard from our friends, the Midkiffs. Our prayers are going out to all there.

[52-fan]

It is sad anytime someone loses their home, but I noticed on the news this morning the 5 homes they showed were within a few yards of a creek. Living near water is pleasant under good conditions, but in a heavy rain situation that kind of location will get you every time.