The mayor says it's going to be a long road to recover. "It looks like a war-zone," she said. "Thank God the National Guard is here."

Spencer's 821st was called to active duty Tuesday morning.

The guardsmen will be facing a much different challenge than the desert war in Iraq, helping West Virginians to put their lives together again.

The Spencer National Guard unit has risen to the cause a number of times, including the Buffalo Creek disaster.

National Guard units will eventually help remove flood debris.