Friends of flood survivor ready to help classmate, community in recovery effort
February 20, 2025
WELCH, W.Va. — Mount View High School classmates of a Welch teenager who survived being washed away by floodwaters are pledging their love and support.
The sophomore girl and her younger sister lived through tragedy that claimed the lives of their grandparents and a two-year-old second cousin.
Fellow Mount View sophomore Abagail Diaz has been in touch with her friend since the tragedy.
“We’re trying to get people in contact with her to help her and do anything we can to make sure they are okay but as for now we just trying to make sure they stay warm and we get them clothes and stuff,” Diaz said.
State police have not released the names of the girl or her younger sister. They were both rescued by first responders Saturday night after their grandfather’s truck was taken away by the flooded Tug Fork River in Welch.
A GoFundMe post from another sister, that is raising money for funeral expenses, said the family was going to get propane for a heater when a mudslide on state Route 103 pushed the truck toward the swollen river.
State police said Donald Griffin, 69, grabbed the toddler, both were swept away. The grandmother, Debbie Griffin, 69, stayed in the truck. All three bodies were recovered downstream. The Griffins on Monday and the young boy on Tuesday.
Another Mount View classmate Welch resident Gabriel Underwood, 15, told MetroNews earlier this week he was there when his friend was pulled to safety.
“She floated from the Pizza Hut all of the way down to Coney Island and they pulled her out..she was shivering, purple. It hurts man,” Underwood said.
The teenage girl, Underwood and Diaz are all in a special program at Mount View for underserved kids called the Jobs for West Virginia’s Graduates backed by the West Virginia Chamber Foundation. Their teacher is Debbie Krabbe. She said her students have stepped up following the devastating flood and the near drowning.
“So we’ve rallied together, a lot of hugging, a lot of tears and sharing what we have with each other,” Krabbe said. “We’re not worried about the educational component right now, we’re worried about the human component helping them and their families. I never seen anyone come together like this in a community, it’s really awesome.”
Diaz said her friend is and her friend’s sister are safe and that’s all she can ask for.
“They’re obviously extremely traumatized and it’s going to take a lot for them to come back,” she said.
Diaz and her family have stepped up to help flood victims. They are giving out food at the family’s Latin Appalachian restaurant in downtown Welch.
Bradley Justice is another sophomore at Mount View and also a student in the JFWVG program. He’s also volunteering his time. He said there’s an amazing spirit that is coming out of the tragedy.
“Seeing our community together as it has–we’ve got people everywhere constantly and more people coming to bring stuff to get to people that are out of town,” he said.
Krabbe said she’s proud how her students have responded.
“I’ve got great students. They are absolutely phenomenal. This is the fourth year that we’ve done this program here and it is growing every year. It’s just a major, major program and I think a a major asset to our school and our community,” Krabbe said.
The students are also helping for the McDowell County flood hotline.
According to the West Virginia Chamber website the Jobs for West Virginia’s Graduates is “tailored for those with academic and economic challenges, JWVG offers in-class support with personalized plans. Students work with teachers and peers to enhance graduation and post-secondary prospects.”
The girl who lost her grandparents and cousin in the river wants to be a forensic analyst. Krabbe said she and others are fully committed to doing all they can to help her realize her dreams.
Krabbe said McDowell County won’t be able to bounce back unless there’s lots of help from the outside.
“We’re begging for help,” she said. “The people who live here have seen all of these floods come and go and with each flood that comes and go so do the people.”
Krabbe said Welch’s population has sadly shrunk to just more than 3,000.
“Are we going to lose them too? That’s the big fear. We don’t want to lose our people. We don’t want to lose our county,” Krabbe said.
Diaz said they will be there for their friend when they are reunited.
“We’ll never be able to actually understand the mental or physical state of what she’s gone through and her sister’s gone through and their family but we can definitely give them what we have,” she said.
Story by Jeff Jenkins, MetroNews