[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HURLEY FLOOD RESCUE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Griffith) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I offer these remarks today to honor the 
bravery and selfless service of the law enforcement officers and other 
first responders that worked to ensure the safety of the residents of 
Buchanan County during the horrendous flooding caused by heavy rainfall 
in the small town of Hurley, Virginia, on August 30, 2021.
  Their efforts saved lives and were core to rescue and recovery 
following the destructive power of the flood. Particularly, I honor 
Buchanan County Sheriff John McClanahan, Deputy Raymond Webb, Deputy 
Lieutenant Brandon Hall, Deputy Lieutenant Ryan Mitchell, Deputy Billy 
Owens, Deputy Aaron Skeens, Deputy Andy Webb, Deputy John Hagy III, and 
Deputy Tasha Meadows.
  The excessive rainfall resulted in blocked roadways, numerous 
landslides, and severe flooding in the town of Hurley. There were 
school closures from the storm as well. All of this caused devastating 
damage and jeopardized the safety of many.
  In the face of danger, these officers and first responders of 
Buchanan County displayed great heroism by rescuing a number of 
citizens from harm's way. The storm caused a level of flooding in 
Hurley which has not been seen for nearly 20 years and matched any 
level of devastation from a natural disaster that I have seen in the 
Ninth Congressional District of Virginia.
  Hundreds of residents had to evacuate their homes. As many as a 
thousand were left without power and drinking water, and I saw roughly 
20 homes that had been uprooted from their foundations. But the 
terrible flood was also an occasion of heroism and helping others. 
Besides the deputies and the sheriff, around 500 volunteers lent their 
time to rescue and cleanup efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, let me highlight one remarkable rescue from the flooding 
on Monday, August 30, 2021, involving a woman trapped in her home.
  The woman's mobile home had been swept off its foundation, carried 
downstream, and when it crashed into a railroad trestle, the home, with 
the woman inside of it, was caught between the raging water and the 
train trestle. The home would have continued further downstream if it 
had not been trapped at the trestle. And as officers quickly arrived on 
the scene, her home was already little more than rubble.
  As the water thundered by and the rain continued to pour down, the 
trailer, surrounded by water, was precariously positioned and appeared 
ready to collapse completely at any moment. Amid this peril, the 
officers showed no regard for their own safety as they came to the 
rescue.
  Deputy Raymond Webb was first to arrive on the scene. He crossed the 
railroad tracks, climbed over to where the collapsed home remained, 
with water raging around, and was able to cut a hole in the roof of 
what was left of the house.
  Shortly after, Sheriff John McClanahan and Deputies Skeens, Meadows, 
Hall, Mitchell, Owens, Webb, and Hagy arrived at the scene to assist 
with the rescue. Deputy Raymond Webb tied a rope around the woman, 
while the rest of the officers and personnel retrieved her and pulled 
her out of the trailer and up to safety. Thanks to the rapid response 
of these officers from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, she was 
rescued from the battered trailer.
  Mr. Speaker, this storm was devastating for the town of Hurley. In a 
time when the community was in great need, these officers courageously 
came together to do their utmost to ensure the safety and security of 
those who were in harm's way.
  I offer my gratitude to the officers from the Buchanan County 
Sheriff's Office, as well as all the community leaders and first 
responders that played a hand in keeping Hurley safe on that day and 
the days that followed.

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