Episcopal Relief and Development is assisting flood victims in West Virginia following flooding in May. Major flooding hit the same areas of the state in July 2001 and left six people dead. In May, the same areas received four inches of torrential rainfall and six people were killed.

"The rain wasn't the worst part," states the Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, Bishop of West Virginia. "This time the mountain began to slide down and destroy everything in its path."

Nearly 500 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, limiting access to clean water and electricity. One school was destroyed and 12 others were damaged.

Episcopal Relief and Development awarded a $20,000 emergency grant to the Diocese of West Virginia to provide basic necessities, furnaces, water heaters, and electrical system replacements. "Last year, Episcopal Relief and Development gave a tremendous grant and made immediate relief a possibility," says Klusmeyer. "Lives have been lost, and now we must rebuild hope."