By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Last week, the region experienced significant flooding due to heavy rain showers. The weather caused multiple vehicle accidents.
New Freedom Farm in Buchanan was hit especially bad by the flooding. Lois Fritz, the founder and director, said that the flooding was the worst it had ever been at the farm. Water filled the barn and damaged some of the fencing. The flooding, she noted, occurred suddenly on Wednesday. Animals were moved to higher ground. Andrew Kintgen, the veteran mentor/barn manager at the farm, was alone at the farm when the flooding occurred.
“The most important thing is that we’re 100 percent safe. All of the animals are safe,” she said in a Facebook post last Wednesday.
Following the flooding, volunteers helped clean up at the farm and repaired some of the damage.
“I’m beyond grateful for everyone who came from around the country, the Citizens Defense Group in Botetourt County, and local first responders who helped out,” Fritz said.
The Western Virginia Water Authority announced that two feet of water was flowing over the Carvins Cove Dam spillway on Wednesday. The authority noted that engineering studies determined that the dam would not fail until 14 feet of overtopping occurred.
