Areas like Neffs and Brookside were hammered by floodwaters, and now Belmont County Commissioners want their voices to be heard loud and clear. They said they are tired of the area's creeks and streams not being cleaned out and dredged to prevent floods.

County Commission President Matt Coffland pointed out some of the bad spots that exist in the county's creeks. He said it's up to the county to get funding to clean the creeks, a preventative maintenance, so flash flooding does not happen again.

"As long as we continue to have messes like this, we are going to continue to have flooding," Coffland said as he pointed to a mass of rock, dirt and debris underneath a bridge.

Coffland said the county can only look forward and not back at what happened with flooding more than a week ago, and he said he's hoping the commission can use money it set aside earlier in the year for the creeks.

"We set aside $50,000 that we are going to start some creek restoration," said Coffland. "We are looking at the Barton area right now, first."

He said the last time a creek was dredged in the county was during the Shadyside floods of 1990.

"That has actually saved those areas," said Coffland. "They went in, dredged the creeks and redid the banks."

For now, the area is waiting on funding, and Coffland said he won't give up his fight to have this issue squared away with.

"This is very frustrating, and this is commission, township trustees, village councils, and they all agree that we need this done."

In the meantime, Coffland said the county is looking at mitigating an area of Willow Grove. Basically, they would buy people's homes and properties, tear them down and make it a green space. That way, fewer people are affected by flooding.