When adversity strikes in West Virginia, unity remains crucial, one Marshall junior said.
Social work major Teanna Stubbs said when her home county of McDowell County, West Virginia, faced catastrophic flooding, she felt the responsibility to act.
“I’ve always been an advocate who wanted to help my community,” Stubbs said. “Even though I’m in Huntington and not there, being able to share a GoFundMe and reach out to people I know has been beneficial.”
Stubbs said upon this tragedy, she felt compelled to reach out to those she felt could make a difference, including Marshall President Brad Smith.
In an email to Smith, Stubbs conveyed the flooding in McDowell County and requested Smith to contribute to “support outreach” opportunities to provide aid to those affected.
“I definitely did not think he would’ve donated $10,000,” Stubbs said. “I thought he would’ve donated a few cases of water or some food, but it is incredible, and I’m very thankful he did.”
Stubbs said this is not the first time she and Smith had discussed opportunities to improve the small town.
“I’ve spoken to him multiple times about different things in the county,” Stubbs said. “We had discussed some infrastructure plans for McDowell County with things like renewable energy.”
In addition, Stubbs said actions like Smith’s are first nature for West Virginians.
“West Virginia itself is often forgotten by the rest of the country,” Stubbs said. “So, as West Virginians, we really only have ourselves.”
In terms of McDowell County, Stubbs said this is not the first time the town has had to rebuild.
“Back in 2001, we had flooding as well, and it took a really long time to rebuild,” Stubbs said. “It was just incredibly hard for the entire community to rebuild and come back from that.”
McDowell County still has a rough journey ahead in regards to restoration, Stubbs said.
“Roads are gone completely, as in the asphalt has been ripped up from the flooding,” Stubbs said. “It’s going to take a while for them to fully comprehend the state of the county and what next steps need to be taken.”
As for now, Stubbs said while she will remain in Huntington for her education, she has plans to continue advocating for her hometown.
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at [email protected].
