Flooding Could Become Next Big Concern For Sw Virginia

WISE — Winter weather damage over the past two weeks tops $8 million, Wise County officials reported on Thursday, and damage assessments are still underway.Structural failures during last Saturday’s storm that dumped nearly a foot and a half or even more of heavy, wet snow across the county followed by significant rainfall, included a collapsed building housing vintage autos and other departments of the Morgan McClure car dealership in Coeburn, and a roof collapse of the Norton/Wise County Food Bank in the Esserville section of Norton.Other reports of damage were legion and not limited to Wise County, although it was the hardest-hit county in Southwest Virginia.Structural failures and/or damage ranged from untold numbers of carports collapsed on top of vehicles to the closure until further notice of the Coeburn Library.