Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 1, 1995 TAG: 9507030065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAURICE A. WILLIAMS III STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Days after Western Virginia was hit by flash floods, residents and organizations are offering assistance ranging from car inspections and food to services and reduced loan rates.
"This first day is encouraging. People are getting the word," said Terrie Jones, director of communications for the Roanoke chapter of The American Red Cross, which had received more than $500 in donations by noon Friday.
Jones said that most of the donations had come from individuals; she expects corporate contributions will increase the figure. In major floods, she said, donations usually exceed $100,000.
In addition, Jones said, Red Cross volunteers in the Roanoke Valley have been busy with damage assessments, primarily in Garden City in Southeast Roanoke, Salem, and the Mason Creek area of Roanoke County. Assessments have come at the request of flood victims and the Red Cross.
Next week, Jones said, the Red Cross will open service centers where victims can seek assistance. Most assistance comes in the form of vouchers for food and clothing.
Donations can be sent to any area Red Cross branch. Jones said people should write "Virginia Flood" on their checks to ensure that the money goes to flood victims.
Dave Biagi, owner of Mastertune Car Care Center on Melrose Avenue in Roanoke, decided to donate 10 percent of his profits toward relief for victims because one of his employees lives on Garden City Boulevard, which was hit hard.
"His basement's flooded, but he didn't have any property loss," Biagi said. Biagi has driven the employee to and from work for the past few days and has seen firsthand the damage to homes and cars.
"There's some cars that are going to have some damage," he said, referring to water that has risen to the doors on some vehicles. Biagi said he will inspect Garden City residents' cars for free.
"You take a chance of getting it [water] into places it shouldn't have been," Biagi said. "A little bit of moisture goes a long way, especially in the brake fluid."
For residents of Buena Vista, Glasgow and other parts of Rockbridge County, where the flooding caused the most damage, basic necessities such as food are most important.
"Everything's going along real well," said . Mullenax said the food bank had sent six tons of frozen and dried food to the region.
"That equals about 9,000 meals," Mullenax said. The food was delivered by Christian Outreach of Rockbridge County, which made seven pickups Friday.
by CNB