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“It caught almost everyone by surprise” On   Tuesday,   Nov.   5,   1985,   residents   in   the   low-lying   areas   of   Greenbrier   County   were   flooded   out   of   their homes   and   businesses.   Buildings   were   lifted   from   their   foundations,   trailers   and   livestock   floated   down   the river,   and   cars   were   turned   on   their   roofs.   When   the   waters   crested,   mud   and   debris   filled   houses   and businesses, and Ronceverte’s Island Park was virtually destroyed. In Alderson, streets were blocked by water, including parts of Rt. 3, 12 and 63. Alderson   resident   Red   Nickell,   an   owner   of   a   grocery   store   destroyed   by   the   flood,   told   the   Mountain Messenger   that   the   flood   took   him   by   such   surprise   that   when   he’d   left   the   store,   he’d   merely   moved   some stock items to the store’s top shelves and left change in the cash register. He   maintained   his   sense   of   humor,   telling   the   newspaper,   “I   do   not   know   if   I’ll   go   back   into   business.   Right at   the   moment   my   store   is   for   sale.   Quite   a   few   people   have   wanted   to   buy   it   in   the   past.   Now,   here’s   their chance. It’s real cheap,” he quipped. “If you bring a shovel, you can get a lot of groceries.” Alderson   Elementary   School,   which   had   just   opened   that   fall,   was   also   damaged   in   the   flood,   as   over   two feet   of   muddy,   oily   water   washed   through   its   interior.   The   buildings   that   housed   the   kindergarten   classes were destroyed.”

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