The Parkersburg News and Sentinel published this editorial on June 26: State officials spent a moment Wednesday observing the five-year anniversary of deadly flooding in West Virginia. The rushing water took 23 lives, destroyed businesses and left hundreds of families without a safe place to live. In the wake of the tragedy, the need was so great entire new levels of bureaucracy were created ⦠which subsequently had to be reined in and put back on track by the West Virginia National Guard. Politicians issued somber but inspiring statements to mark the anniversary. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., for example, had this to say: