Recovery efforts are underway in the Ararat and Kibler Valley communities as local officials seek donations for volunteers and appeal for people with heavy equipment to help reach several families who remain isolated after recent flooding.
Many of the bridges on side roads in Ararat are impassable, making it difficult for residents to travel.
“If you know the backroads, you can get out, but you have to go out of the way for most,” said local resident Tom Perry.
The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office said washed-out roads also have left several Kibler Valley families without vehicle access to their homes. Among those stranded are residents with significant medical needs, including a wheelchair user, a stroke survivor, a person with early Alzheimer’s disease, a chemotherapy patient and another resident recovering from surgery.
Officials are asking contractors, excavating companies, logging crews, farmers with tractors, UTV owners and others with equipment that can be used to safely access damaged areas to call Angie Nelson at (336) 705-3185.
The Ararat Ruritan Club has been designated as an official drop-off site for donations to support volunteers, emergency responders and community members involved in cleanup efforts.
Needed items include nonperishable food, ready-to-eat meals, snack foods, bottled water, sports drinks and electrolyte drink mixes. The club is accepting walk-in donations daily.
Officials said the donations will help sustain crews working to restore access and help residents as recovery efforts continue in the flood-damaged communities.
