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Rappahannock citizens are grateful that this flood brought no loss of life.
Most are also grateful to the Virginia Department of Transportation, which again performed miracles following the devastation of the remnants of Hurricane Fran on Friday.
All the streams in the county flooded. Most overflowed bridges piling up debris. Many roads and culverts were washed out, and the wind and rain combined with a heavy rain earlier in the week brought down trees along the roads. Entire sections of pavement vanished leaving scarred remains.
VDOT crews were out in force as soon as possible repairing the damage. Throughout the weekend trucks trundled through Washington carrying rock of all sizes to get roads open so people could get out.
And the impossible was accomplished. By Monday enough roads were open so school buses could roll. Onjy two routes were altered.
The same combination of forces took down power lines throughout the county. Crews from the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative were out Saturday gradually restoring service to customers.
The same was not true of Potomac Edison, now to be called Allegheny Power. On Saturday, some people were still trying to contact the company to report damage. Many reported having trouble even getting anyone to answer the 800 number. Calls to the Madison office were more successful, but no one there could say When repair trucks and crews would be dispatched to repair lines. ! One customer was told there would be no help in Rappahannock County until Monday. Reports of that apparently brought action, as Allegheny Power trucks started showing up in the county Sunday. It was amazing to some, however, to see the trucks waiting by the side of the road for VDOT crews to get roads open instead of going to areas where roads were already open to make repairs.
There was a time when customers of Potomac Edison were grateful they were not REC customers. No longer! Now REC customers clearly have the superior service.
Allegheny Power sends out press releases touting the advantages of consolidation as the company prepares for the coming of competition in the power industry. For disgruntled former Potomac Edison Customers competition cannot come soon enough. ! What consolidation appears to mean is that the people who did the work and knew what they were doing are gone, replaced by "public relations" people praising the process that has ruined a once proud company.
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