WELSH, W. Va — McDowell County, West Virginia, sits quietly tucked away in coal country, its towns brimming with history and hardship. Once a thriving hub during the height of the coal mining industry, the community has seen a decline that has left many residents struggling to get by. The already hard-hit area faced a significant challenge in late February when flash floods tore through the town of Welsh, leaving homes severely damaged and families distraught.
Maryland/Delaware Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers were deployed, partnering with other Southern Baptist DR volunteers from neighboring states to serve flood victims. BCM/D volunteers were from Blue Ridge, Eastern, Montgomery, Potomac, Baltimore, and Western Baptist Associations. They worked on a five-week rotation, providing hands-on help, compassion, and care in Jesus’ name. The last teams left the site at the end of March.
Quick Response in Unusual Timing
Deploying early in the year was rare for these teams. “We’ve only done this one other time in 24 years,” noted Alan Caho, a Faith Church, Knoxville member and a DR leader. Most volunteers did “mud outs,” tasks that involved clearing basements, removing ruined materials, treating mold, and helping tackle other immediate needs. Others did administrative work and chaplaincy, while some prepared the food to support the teams.
Maryland/Delaware DR workers partnered with DR volunteers from several states to serve in Welsh, West Virginia. (Photo by Christine Shutt)
Caho said the flooding was particularly tough on this community. “When the coal mines shut down, it devastated them. Many have left for work elsewhere, leaving behind a population where many are retired or affected by disability, and they’re just doing whatever they can to help one another.”
A Grateful Community
Despite the destruction, residents displayed a deep sense of gratitude. “I’ve never seen a community more thankful,” Caho said. “Even small efforts made a big difference to them.”
Kerry Wolford, a member of Mountain City Church, Frostburg, and another DR team leader, was also touched by the town’s heartfelt appreciation.
He shared about his team’s effort to help three sisters and a brother, who were in their 70s and 80s and lived in a little purple house. Wolford said, “They wash clothes by hand and hang them on a line in the basement, so cleaning and sanitizing their basement was essential.” The family also lost their water heater and can’t use their furnace.
As with every job, the team gathered to pray with the family and present a Bible to them at the end of the work. At the purple house, after the team prayed, the brother turned to pray for the team. Wolford said, “It was one of the most awesome prayers I’ve ever experienced. It was truly a worship prayer. Here they are in the middle of the flood, and they’re praying like that. You know they’re in touch with God!”
Wolford also shared the struggles of a woman whose husband, following a tremendous trauma, left her and her four young children. The little family watched as the flood waters rose, entering their home. They lost their washer and dryer and the water heater. Added to the frustration, a contractor incorrectly repaired the paneling damaged by the flood. “It just breaks your heart,” said Wolford, who has kept in touch with these and other families and plans to return to the area to provide additional help.
A Church Steps Up
Reclamation Church, Welsh, W. Va., became the focal point of the relief efforts. The building has a rich history, originally constructed in the late 1800s as a Presbyterian church. Now a Southern Baptist Church planted just a year ago, God used the congregation, mostly young families, as the central DR hub.
A Disaster Relief worker helps “mud-out” a flooded basement in Welsh, West Virginia. (Photo submitted)
Pastor Paul Dick was overwhelmingly grateful for the help of the DR teams. “We might have tried to help without the disaster relief folks, but they had already paved the way, and we learned just by watching, and for that, we are grateful.” As usual, the DR teams gave credit to the local church as they worked to support and assist the community.
Dick said, “We felt very confident that the work being done in the name of Christ and the name of our church was being done with excellence and wasn’t in competition with what local agencies were trying to do. That friendly cooperation was a big witness to our community, as well as the excellence of knowledge about how to do mold abatement that a lot of people didn’t know.
“On top of that,” he said, ”Sunday mornings were wonderful. It was fun with all the testimonies and fresh faces.”
Since that time, the church has seen multiple visitors. “I can’t wait for Easter,” said Dick.
Caho said, “Seeing a newly planted church being the hands and feet of God in their community was amazing. I really love it when a new pastor comes into an area, and they’re trying to reach that community, and then when something happens, they’re right there. People see that the ‘boots on the ground’ help is coming from that church. That gives the pastor what we refer to as ‘street cred.’ To see that happen is one of my favorite things in disaster relief — just to watch God do miracles all around you that are totally unexpected.”
Help Still Needed.
Caho encourages other Baptists to prayerfully consider helping. “There’s more to do than heavy labor,” Caho pointed out. “Cooking for volunteers, managing logistics, offering support to the teams – everyone can play a role. We just need more hands.”
Disaster Relief is a component of the new BCM/D Missional Impact Team. Read more about DR here: https://bcmd.org/bcmd-ready/