GILMER COUNTY DESTINATION FOR DC TERRORIST EXODUS

(05/21/2007)
Gilmer County is a target for a mass exodus from Washington DC, if the nation's capitol has a major terrorist strike.

Gilmer is one of ten West Virginia counties that will develop a plan to deal with an estimated exodus of 800,000 to one million people who are predicted to head to the Mountain State.

Some government officials and terrorist watchers are predicting a strike on Washington, again.

Randolph County has been charged with hiring a new Regional Emergency Planner to get ready.

Many evacuees would come to the state on Corridor H or Route 33.

Officials say that's just one of the many scenarios.

The planning position would be created under a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

The job would be to take 10 counties in the region and prepare them for the potential influx of people who would come from the nation's capital.

The 10 counties, in addition to Gilmer, are Barbour, Braxton, Lewis, Tucker, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur and Webster.

All have their own emergency management offices, said officials.

Since Randolph County has been charged with organizing the new job, County Commissioner Julia Elbon and her fellow commissioners now have the task of picking the right applicant.

Elbon says whoever it is will have a lot of work ahead of them.

The job will be funded through a Homeland Security Grant and last one year.