Kanawha River Railroad Participates in Simulated Disaster

Watco’s Kanawha River Railroad (KNWA) team recently participated in a statewide exercise with the National Guard designed to simulate a large-scale disaster. The simulated disaster, called Vigilant Guard, was a stalled hurricane hovering over West Virginia, dropping massive amounts of water. The participants had to learn how to manage flash flooding, mudslides, and dam breaches that led to road closures, evacuations, and aerial and swift-water boat rescues of people and animals. Hazardous materials accident response was part of the scenario, including mock train derailments, tanker truck wrecks, gas line ruptures, explosions, and fires. The event brought together more than 1,000 military personnel, first responders, and private-sector partners who assisted with the simulated disaster.

The multi-day exercise began on August 24, when the Governor activated the National Guard. On August 28, the final exercise took place at the KNWA railyard in Belle, West Virginia. The exercise simulated a train-bus accident resulting in multiple injuries and a derailment. Local responders were called to the scene, but then a hazardous hydrochloric acid leak was discovered, resulting in the need to call in the National Guard for assistance.

“The exercise went extremely well,” said John Thurman, KNWA General Manager. “It was a pleasure working with Kanawha County Emergency Management team, the Homeland Security Fusion Center, and the military.”

“The Emergency Management Division recognizes the importance of participating in fullscale exercises with our partners,” said G.E. McCabe, Director of the West Virginia Emergency Management Division. “These exercises allow us to execute our response, gain skill with processes, and identify any gaps before a real emergency occurs.”

Vigilant Guard is an annual event sponsored by United States Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Vigilant Guard is held in different FEMA regions. West Virginia is in FEMA Region III, which also includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Recent Vigilant Guard exercises have been held in Massachusetts, Georgia, Guam, and New Mexico. This is the first time West Virginia has been selected to host the exercise.