By Sierra Marling, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CANNELTON HOLLOW, W.Va. — “Every time it rains, I’m in complete PTSD mode.”
Kelly Schoolcraft of Cannelton Hollow in Fayette County is one of the residents affected by ongoing sewage issues from a 2022 flood that washed away two miles of sewer lines in the area from the Mount Olive Correctional Complex and Jail — at the head of the hollow — down to Smithers.
No sewer lines have been replaced, and a FEMA-funded project may not be complete until 2027. Until then, residents continue living in close proximity to raw sewage.
According to Delegate David Pritt, R-Fayette, there are at least 300 residents affected by the sewer issues, as well around 1,000 prisoners at Mount Olive, which is the state’s largest detention facility, and the adjacent Slayton Work Camp.
