CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As people across the Mountain State brace for record-breaking heat this week amid the ongoing drought threat, emergency officials in Kanawha County are thinking back to the severe flooding that occurred in Kanawha and five other counties this time last year.

Last August, parts of eastern Kanawha County were affected by flooding, particularly Winifred Hallow and Slaughters Creek. In addition, Braxton, Boone, Calhoun, Clay and Roane counties were also affected.

According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, the Slaughters Creek area of ​​Kanawha County alone received a total of 6.25 inches of rain in 72 hours between August 28 and 29, 2023.

Last year’s floods in eastern Kanawha County

CW Sigman, Kanawha County’s emergency management director and fire coordinator, said there have been floods in 2022 as well. He said it’s an ironic and strange contrast to what’s happening this year.

“I don’t know what to make of it, the weather seems a little extreme, especially now that it’s so dry,” Sigman said.

After President Joe Biden declared a disaster for the 2023 floods in these areas, residents there were given a lot of money to repair their homes and properties and to help with other needs.

However, Sigman said that a year later, residents in those areas are still making repairs after the flood.

“I was just in Fields Creek about a week ago. They’re still working on getting rid of a mobile home that was washed away. They’ve taken it down,” he said. “I’m sure people are still working on their homes. I hope most of them are done, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

According to the NWS, temperatures in cities across the state this year could reach 100 degrees or more, surpassing the record of 102 degrees Celsius set in 1903.

Sigman said that in his long career in emergency services, he could not remember ever having experienced such a severe drought at this time of year.

“I’ve been in the fire service a long time and I remember we’ve had some severe droughts, but I don’t remember it being this bad in August,” he said. “Our fire season is usually late fall to early spring, before the leaves come out or after the leaves have fallen.”

On Tuesday, Sigman said several fires had been set along the Allens Fork in the Sissonville area, which borders northern Putnam County and southern Jackson County.

He said it appeared to be a fairly drought-prone area and Tuesday’s events proved that.

“This area seems to be in the worst drought in the valley, it’s an even more drought-stricken area, but just in the fire yesterday we had grass fires that spread to a house. The house was destroyed, our garages were destroyed,” Sigman said.

He said the fire also reached a farmer’s field and spread quickly due to the dryness of the grass.

Sigman said that as a result, they have not only had problems with wildfires, but also with wasps. He said that emergency services have received several calls about wasp stings because these species of bees like this dry weather.

In addition, several wells had dried up and emergency services were helping to direct water to them, he said.

Sigman said that while there is currently no official ban on burning fires, he advises against lighting fires at this time, especially on windy days, as there will be consequences.

“Technically, fire season doesn’t start until October 1st, there are currently no restrictions on when you can burn, but beware: If you let a fire get out of control, whether it’s fire season or not, you can be held liable for all firefighting costs,” Sigman said.