1985 Election Day Flood
The CSX brakeman, Rick Felton, was unprepared for the sound that shrieked across the night before the Election Day Flood of November 5, 1985.
People started realizing they were in for a disaster when Hurricane Juan, which had spiraled down to a tropical depression, began to make a comeback.
The storm melded with another system over the Mid-Atlantic, resulting in devastating consequences: 47 West Virginians lost their lives, and the cost of damages in the Mountain State alone exceeded $700 million.
Hurricane Juan decided it wasn’t going gentle.
- 47 West Virginians lost their lives
- Cost of damages in the Mountain State: over $700 million
Author's summary: A look back at the devastating 1985 Election Day Flood.