MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) -- A group of people who help families recover from floods and other disasters has won a $10 million Powerball jackpot.
Federal Emergency Management Agency human services specialist George E. ''Paddy'' Alter III told WEPM in Martinsburg that 15 of his co-workers hold the winning ticket, which was purchased last week at a Sheetz convenience store in Charles Town. Alter said he is not one of the winners.
The winning numbers for the June 29 drawing were 3, 8, 22, 42, 49, Powerball 39, Power Play 5.
Alter, of Martinsburg, said most of the winners work at the FEMA site at Mount Weather, Va., while a few others work for FEMA in Winchester, Va.
''It's one of those things where they all just kind of found out and they're walking around the hallways and people are e-mailing each other like crazy, and we're all happy for them and of course the 15 are happy for themselves,'' Alter told the radio station.
West Virginia Lottery officials announced the winning ticket last Thursday.
West Virginia Lottery spokeswoman Nancy Bulla said Tuesday that one of the 15 FEMA workers contacted her Friday by telephone.
''This individual was getting ready to celebrate his 70th birthday,'' Bulla said.
The 15 FEMA workers, who are from Virginia and West Virginia, plan to come to Charleston next week to claim the prize, she said.
''We don't consider it a winning ticket until the ticket is actually validated through our computer system here,'' Bulla said.
Lottery officials advised the FEMA worker who contacted Bullla to sign the back of the ticket for security purposes, she said.
''So he had something like 13 names on the back of the ticket,'' Bulla said. ''That presented a problem, but not a serious one,'' since only one person can claim a ticket.
The first person who signed the ticket will be the official claimant, and then the group can divide the money, she said.
Alter said the workers plan to split the after-taxes lump sum option of $5.8 million.
