By Kayla Cook
Over a two-day period on June 23-24, 2016, torrential rains inundated the southern part of West Virginia, resulting in devastating floods that killed at least 23 and misplaced thousands. Bowles Rice LLP, a regional law firm that includes five offices throughout the Mountain State, jumped into action. Four members of the Bowles Rice family were directly impacted by the flooding, and many other friends and clients of the firm were also affected. While the company immediately offered aid and support to these individuals, it also sought to help the many others who were struggling to clean up and re-build in the aftermath.
When it was safe for the families to return to their homes, two teams of Bowles Rice lawyers and staff traveled to Clendenin and Clay to offer clean-up assistance, supplies and a warm meal to families whose homes were situated along the Elk River and had been destroyed by the flood. It was estimated that at one point, the water level in the homes was six feet deep. Nothing was salvageable. Over the next two days, the teams were able to remove nearly four feet of water from one of the basements, rip the homes down to the studs to prevent mold growth and haul away thousands of pounds of debris. While some members of the team were knee deep in the mud, other members worked to prepare a warm meal and cool drinks for those in the neighborhood who were without electricity or running water.
In addition to the clean-up crew, Bowles Rice contributed $10,000 to the American Red Cross and Herbert Hoover High School flood relief. Corey Palumbo, a Bowles Rice partner, helped raise $625,000 for Herbert Hoover High school—$125,000 through a fundraiser in July 2016 and $500,000 nationally through the efforts of his good friend, actress and Charleston native Jennifer Garner, and her work with Save the Children Foundation. Bowles Rice also donated the firm’s van to the Good News Mountaineer Garage so that it could be given to a family in need.
Bowles Rice was just one of many organizations that offered support in the aftermath of the floods. In true West Virginia fashion, businesses and individuals across the state joined together to help their fellow Mountaineers. While the flood may have damaged homes and personal belongings, it did not damage the spirit of this great state, which is why Bowles Rice is proud to be a West Virginia law firm.
About the Author
Kayla Cook is an associate at Bowles Rice who focuses her practice in energy law and real estate law with an emphasis in residential sales and commercial leasing. She also assists institutions of higher education in Title IX compliance, investigation and report drafting. Kayla is a member of the American Bar Association, Young Professional Women in Energy and the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation. She earned her law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2012 where she was a member of the Order of the Barristers. Cook was also associate chief justice of appellate advocacy for the Moot Court Board.
