Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 22, 1994 TAG: 9408220114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WOODS MILL LENGTH: Medium
At the Nelson County Wayside on U.S. 29, they dedicated a memorial marker to the 130 victims claimed by the storm that night. The bodies of 39 of the dead have never been found.
Earlier, many of the survivors gathered at the Ridgecrest Baptist Church a few miles south of the wayside for a morning service to remember the horror and the heroism of Aug. 19-20, 1969.
``We remember those who did deeds of greatness. We are remembering those who passed away and those whose bodies were never recovered,'' said the Rev. Robert Campbell, the church's minister.
Flood survivor Henry Connor said he woke up before dawn Saturday for no apparent reason.
``I never wake up at 3 a.m.,'' the former school superintendent said. ``It was like an alarm clock that went off in my head but wasn't set. Or maybe it was set 25 years ago.''
The storm dumped the equivalent of a year's worth of rain on Nelson County in six hours. Every creek along the Blue Ridge watershed became a river, and the rivers became forces of destruction as they tore away everything in their paths.
When the group convened at the wayside, state Sen. Edgar Robb, R-Charlottesville, dedicated the marker to the victims, their families and friends.
Johnny Ponton did not discuss his memories of the flood, but he did talk about the cleanup effort.
``People who had been enemies all their lives came together and worked side by side,'' he said.
William Whitehead, who was sheriff of Nelson County at the time of the flood, recalled neighbors helping neighbors long before help from other places arrived.
``The only thing that exceeded the magnitude of the flood was the response,'' he said.
``It's good for those who died and those who suffered to be remembered this way,'' said Warren Raines.
Raines, who was 14 when the storm hit, lost his father, mother, a brother and two sisters. He survived by holding onto a weeping willow tree for five hours during the early morning of Aug. 20. His 16-year-old brother, who was hanging on nearby, and a sister, who lived in Lynchburg at the time, also survived.
``It was tough being orphaned all at one time,'' Raines said. ``We were a close family.''
Patty Gore had moved away from Nelson County and said she had to force herself to come back.
``I saw quite a bit that night,'' she said. ``Today brought back a lot of memories.''
She spent the night with her husband, a dog, and two cats atop a stone building that is now Walton's Mountain Country Store.
``I don't know how we got on top of the store,'' she said. ``I think God put us up there.''
by CNB