ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 3, 1996 TAG: 9610030066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GRUNDY
As many as 1,000 people were evacuated Wednesday from a Buchanan County coal mining community after heavy rain flooded a hollow and threatened their homes.
``This is really scary,'' said Carol Baldwin, who was forced to leave behind her two dogs and four cats as the water rose behind an earthen dam about 2 1/2 miles above her home. ``I'm just glad they got everyone out.''
The flooding began after a day of rain.
``It's been raining heavily all day long,'' said Barney Stiltner, acting police chief in Grundy, where the Levisa River flooded a few low-lying streets.
The chief threat was in the community of Little Prater about three miles from Grundy, where an earthen dam was holding back water rising in a hollow left from coal mining operations.
Mike LaCivita of the state Department of Emergency Services said, ``This dam has failed before and could have threatened the lives of people below it.''
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 31 linesby CNB