KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – It’s been two weeks since historic flooding up rooted trees and wiped out bridges and homes in eastern Kanawha County. While many have assisted families in finding their footing through the cleanup process, some are still struggling every day to get to and from their own homes.

“My son needs to go to school,” said David Adams, Slaughter Creek Resident. “So, we’ve been building pallets and cinder blocks to walk across, but when it rains we have to dig it all back out of the creek. If not, it’s going to wash away.” 

The bridge connecting Slaughter Creek Drive to Rich Creek Road was washed out when floodwaters rushed through Cabin Creek.

At first, residents were able to walk or drive an ATV across where the water was lower. In some cases, they were also able to use an access road that runs along the creek, but both ways are barley passable.

Now they have to walk across a makeshift bridge to go to work, school and to do simple tasks like grocery shopping.

“She [family member] leaves really early for work. It’s dark just like it’s dark when my son goes to school,” said Adams. “She has to walk across this and she has to use a stick to help guide her to help her from falling in.”

The family is hoping the bridge can be fixed soon, but the question of who is responsible to do that is holding up the process.

According to tax property maps from the Kanawha County Assessor’s Office, a mining company named “BlackHawk Land and Resources” also owns property on the other side of the creek. However, those maps don’t explicitly say who is responsible for the bridge that was washed out. 

13 News has reached out to the mining company, but they have not gotten back yet.