When the River Took the Cabins

40 Years Later: Remembering the 1985 Election Day Flood at Harman’s Log Cabins

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 1985, the river rose higher than anyone could imagine.

For four relentless days, from November 3–6, rain fell across the Potomac Highlands — filling creeks, streams, and hollows until they overflowed. By dawn on the fifth, the peaceful North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac had become a wall of water, tearing through Grant and Pendleton Counties.

When the storm finally broke, it left behind one of West Virginia’s most devastating natural disasters. Forty-seven lives were lost statewide, nearly 10,000 homes damaged, and more than 700 businesses destroyed — with an estimated $700 million in total losses.

Here in Hopeville Canyon, the devastation was personal. At the canyon’s exit, a single home with 13 people on its roof was swept away — marking the deadliest site of the Great Flood of 1985. Along this same stretch of river, Harman’s Log Cabins, a family-owned retreat since 1939, was almost completely destroyed.

“It stopped everything overnight,” recalls Todd Harman, third-generation owner of Harman’s Log Cabins. “Access was cut off at Jordan Run Road and Route 28/55. Power and phones were out, our bookings vanished — and where cabins used to sit, the river flowed.”

Only one cabin, #3, remained standing. But rather than keep it as a reminder of loss, the Harman family made the decision to take it down and start fresh.

“We rebuilt stronger,” Todd says. “We began by removing the lone survivor, then started constructing new, luxury log cabins along the riverbank — ones that could stand the test of time. It wasn’t just about rebuilding cabins. It was about rebuilding hope.”

That spirit of renewal shaped the Harman legacy for decades to come. Today, Harman’s Log Cabins celebrates 86 years as a family-owned and operated business, now proudly led by the fourth generation of Harmans. Guests from around the world come to fish, hike, and reconnect along the same stretch of river that once washed everything away — a river that continues to remind us of both nature’s power and people’s perseverance.

“Respect the river; remember the people,” Todd reflects. “The 1985 flood nearly ended Harman’s, and it took friends and neighbors we still mourn. But the community’s strength — families, volunteers, and the guests who kept coming back — that’s why we’re still here.”

Forty years later, the cabins stand as more than a destination. They are a living tribute to resilience — to family, to community, and to the enduring spirit of West Virginia.

When guests settle into a cabin today, they do more than stay along the river. They become part of a story rebuilt by hand and heart — one that began in 1939, endured the flood of 1985, and continues to flow through generations.

🎥 Watch archival footage of the 1985 Flood here: The Great WV Flood of 1985
📚 Historical sources: National Weather Service; Grant County Press (Nov. 13, 1985); Moorefield Examiner archives;The Flood of November 4–5, 1985 in Tucker, Preston, Grant & Hardy Counties (McClain Printing, 1985).