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| Floods and the Floodwall Since 1949, the town of Matewan has been flooded by the Tug Fork River 36 times. This unfortunate history prompted the United States Army Corps of Engineers to describe Matewan as having the most severe flooding problem in America. Over the years the floods have varied in intensity from the minor backing-up of Mate Creek to the catastrophic floods in 1957, 1963, 1977, and 1984. In 1953 alone, four floods damaged the area between February 15 and March 15. Flooding is not solely a twentieth century phenomenon for the town. As early as 1863, settlers avoided the ravages of the Tug by building their homes on high ground away from the river. It was in that year a flood of greater than 100-year magnitude hit the area. In the years from 1890 to 1940, an era that saw the coalfields of the Williamson area boom, the lack of flood-free land forced residents to build in the flood plain along Mate Creek and the Tug Fork. In 1957, a flood swept through Matewan that caused never before seen damage to the town. The flooding was thought to be so severe that no future flood could equal to it. The 1963 flood proved everyone wrong. The high-water mark that year topped the 1957 level by several feet and again inflicted heavy damage to the community. No one who lived in Matewan in April of 1977 will ever forget the flood that occurred on the fourth day of that month. After several days of steady rains, the river rose more quickly than it ever had. The water rose faster than people could relocate their personal property, and the loss was enormous. What had been considered high ground prior to 1977 had now become floodplain. Store windows shattered; beds, cars, and furniture floated through town; and gasoline leaking from the B&C Oil Company produced an oil slick that emitted potent fumes. The following day, townspeople surveyed the destruction; the water and sewer treatment facilities were gone; City Hall, fire trucks and equipment, the new medical clinic, the Buskirk bidge, and the oldest building in town were all destroyed. Nearly 1/3 of the homes in town has washed down the river. Just seven years later, the second largest flood of this century again destroyed our town. Having suffered through 33 floods in 35 years, there was less to lose in terms of both property and human spirit in 1984. The 1977 flood brought national attention to the horrific flooding problem in the Tug Valley. Television coverage of this disaster generated sympathy throughout the nation, and help from the federal government. Finally, legislation was enacted to provide flood protection for Matewan. In the fall of 1996, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the massive floodwall around Matewan which now ensures the town's safety when the spring rains swell the Tug Fork from a lazy river to a destructive giant. More on the Floodwall .... adapted from The Matewan Action plan The Matewan, West Virginia, Fill/Floodwall Project was authorized by Section 202 of the Energy and Water Development Act of Public Law 96-367 (October 1981) and approved for construction by the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) in July 1982. The project has provided Standard Project Flood (SPF) protection, plus free board to the Matewan Central Business District (CDB) and April 1977 flood level of protection, plus freeboard, for the Mate Creek area. Protection of the Matewan CBD area consists of a 2,350 feet long floodwall, varying in height between 6 and 29 feet above finished grade. The floodwall was constructed upon a wide fill/levee structure designed to reduce the floodwall. The floodwall surface is textured by vertical fluting and appropriate graphics depicting the historical background of Matewan. In addition, a new storm water interceptor system was constructed leading to an 18,000 GPM pump station to handle a portion of the CBD interior storm water. The remaining interior drainage, mostly from Warm Hollow, will be collected and disposed by a large diameter diversion pipeline (pressure conduit). Also, the CBD area includes seven gated closures, one pedestrian access door and Highway 49 bypass loop and the New Mate Creek bridge. Construction in Mate Creek consisted of an engineered fill structure raised to a minimum elevation of 709.0 and construction of new streets and utilities to support construction of new residential structures in the Mate Creek area (29 single-family units). In addition to the basis flood protection works, a pedestrian walkway, on the riverside of the floodwall, extends from the downstream end of the CBD floodwall to the upstream extent of the Mate Creek fill structure. This walkway allows access to the pedestrian door access in the CBD and to two fisherman access platforms along the Tug Fork riverbank. Construction of the floodwall was begun in 1992 and was completed in 1997. |
| Matewan Depot Replica and Museum PO Box 307 Matewan, WV 25678 (304) 426-5744 |
| Matewan, West Virginia.... rich in history, full of tradition. |
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