Photos by Ethan Bell
By Heather and Ethan Bell
RADFORD – The flood waters have subsided in the City of Radford, but a big mess remains, and clean-up efforts are underway.
At 4:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, the New River reached a crest of 31.03 feet. This was the highest flood stage since the 35.96-foot flood stage recorded on Aug. 14, 1940. The New River is no stranger to flooding, with previous floods of 24.1 feet in Nov. 1977 and 21.71 feet in May 2020, but the scale of the flood event on Saturday has not been seen in almost a century.
Flood damage included Riverview Park, Bisset Park, Memorial Field, Sparky’s Dog Run, the Radford Animal Shelter, and the parking lots of River’s Edge Apartments and the Dedmon Center. No injuries or fatalities were reported in Radford.
The City of Radford issued a public notice Monday afternoon regarding clean-up efforts.
“Radford City crews have begun the recovery process from Hurricane Helene,” the announcement reads. “Initial steps in this process include assessment of damage, wash down and cleanup of muddy areas, debris cleanup, and Animal Control evaluation and restoration. Bisset Park remains closed to unauthorized vehicles and use of the Riverway is discouraged until further notice.”
“Special thanks to the National Guard for sending chainsaw crews to assist with cleanup efforts. All public utilities are in normal operation.”
Several people have expressed interest in helping with the clean-up efforts. Radford Mayor David Horton announced on his official Facebook page Monday that volunteers will likely be needed in the future, but not at the moment.
“Thank you to the National Guard and all who are helping us with the clean-up process,” Horton wrote. “So many people have been wonderful and reached out to coordinate volunteer efforts and help. At this time, we can’t do that.
The area needs to remain closed for the most part and professionals, National Guard, and staff are assessing and helping with the most dangerous items. There will be many opportunities to help in the coming weeks and months and we will keep you posted. Thanks again to all! We will get things back to normal as soon as we can.”
