Washington County residents wanting the latest information on flood damage from Hurricane Helene that devastated the city of Damascus and two nearby communities should attend Tuesday’s meeting of the county Board of Supervisors.

County Administrator Jason Berry and Theresa Kingsley-Varble, coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management, will discuss the status of cleanup and recovery efforts, according to the meeting agenda. Board member Saul Hernandez is also scheduled for a discussion about disaster events in the future.

On September 27, after days of rain saturated the ground beforehand, hours of heavy rain and high winds lashed southwestern Virginia. The two creeks surrounding Damascus rose above their banks and poured meters of water through the city. Trees were uprooted, giant sinkholes formed, and some homes and mobile homes were knocked off their foundations and sent downstream. More than a hundred residents had to be rescued by swift water teams.

Also hit hard by the massive storm were the nearby communities of Taylors Valley and Green Cove. A nearly mile-long section of U.S. 58 toward Konnarock was also wiped out, along with a bridge there, Berry previously said.

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The county administrator said more than 600 homes and businesses were assessed last week by state and county officials and they were working on how many buildings were destroyed and damaged. Those figures will be released in the coming weeks, he said. The information is needed to apply for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The meeting starts at 6:30 pm at 1 Government Center Place in Abingdon.

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