In the two weeks since the flood waters destroyed much of Clendenin, people there have only begun grasp how long and how much money it will take to try and rebuild their communities.
As money from Federal Emergency Management Agency begins to pour into the area, and as state and county officials work, too, to help people begin to repair their lives, many people in Clendenin don't know where to begin searching for help.
On Thursday night, House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, hosted at the Clendenin Volunteer Fire Department the first of two forums where people could ask questions of representatives from all of the local, state, and federal agencies helping the community rebuild.
"I'll tell you that I would go to war with the Clendenin Fire Department, Kanawha County Sheriff's department, the West Virginia State Police and all these responders," said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard. "I'd take them anywhere in the world, they're that damn good."
At points during the more than 2-hour long meeting, the discussion divulged into complaints about a whole host of things - high taxes, declining coal industry and the need to invest in the state's infrastructure.
Jennifer Roton was there looking for help.
When the floodwaters came, she and about 70 other people ended up trapped on U.S. 119 near her home. Part of the road is slightly higher there than where she lives, so parts of it managed to stay dry.
They didn't have any food or water, but luckily there were neighbors in the area who fed them.
When the water receded, Roton got to work looking for help.
"We lost our house and our business," Roton said. "We were told by FEMA, SBA and the mitigation people at the main FEMA headquarters that we would have to wait six to eight weeks before they would come and re-floodplain it in order for us to open our business."
Roton said she and her husband were told they could not reopen their automotive shop because of the hazardous materials in the garage still near the river.
"That's not our program," said Albie Lewis, a federal coordinating officer from FEMA. "FEMA representatives would not tell you when you could open your business or not."
Roton and her husband live on the property in a trailer, which sits next to the automotive business they operate.
"We knew it was a flood area, but when the Dairy Queen was under back in the 1980s, it never even touched our back yard," Roton said. "My husband has lived on the property since then."
Even though she they knew they lived in the floodplain, Roton said she was unable to get flood insurance because of how old the trailer was. They moved the trailer onto the property 10 years ago after her husband's father died.
Thinking they couldn't open their business, the Rotons instantly worried about how they would support their family. Roton said her husband has three children from a previous marriage for whom he still pays child support.
After they were finally able to talk to FEMA, Roton said her husband left West Virginia to go work on a pipeline in Ohio.
Because she spoke up at the meeting, Roton got in touch with representatives from the Kanawha County Commission, who she hopes will help her find help.
The next forum will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Elkview Baptist Church, located at 1150 Main St.
Reach Jake Jarvis at jake.jarvis@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-7939 or follow @NewsroomJake on Twitter.