In July 2016, ToolBank Disaster Services’ MU-1 unit co-deployed to Summersville, West Virginia in response to massive flooding in the region.
Our partner for this deployment was Team Rubicon.
As part of my fundraising campaign, “Lace Up Like It’s 1995!”, I am detailing select deployments from this unit. Some of the disasters detailed are lodged in our national memory, such as named storms like Hurricane Katrina and particularly devastating events like the flooding in Central Texas that took place in July 2025. Others are smaller and fade from memory faster for those who were not directly impacted. This feature is one of those. I spend time to detail it here to create a record of all types of events we respond to as ToolBank Disaster Services. I am mindful as I write this that we are deploying tools to West Virginia again this month in the wake of recent flooding in Nicholas County. Sadly, the need for our services has only increased in the 12 years since we launched our first mobile unit, MU-1.
Event
In late June 2016, a 1000-year flood hit parts of West Virginia, including the city of Huntington. Damage was widespread and catastrophic. On July 14th, additional flash floods hit the region, dropping more than a foot of rain in a short amount of time and compounding drainage issues that had started with rain in June. More than 50 homes were severely damaged and many vehicles were swept away. Thousands of residents were directly impacted or displaced. More than 500,000 homes lost power.
Response
Over three weeks of co-deployment in Summersville with Team Rubicon, we loaned $52,720.11 in tools on 21 distinct orders, covering more than 75 projects. From clearing debris from roadways and homes to airing out buildings to prevent mold, our tools were in the hands of volunteers swiftly and for multiple weeks in acute aftermath of the floods.
