Torrential rains caused flash floods in West Virginia, inundating homes and businesses, washing out bridges, and necessitating numerous water rescues. Some residents remained unaccounted for as search operations continued.
Governor Patrick Morrisey deployed 500 National Guard members to the worst-hit areas in the northern part of the state and declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties. Over 100 people required rescue from floodwaters, with concerns about more individuals being unaccounted for. Nineteen helicopters from the National Guard and state police were tasked with rescue missions or prepared to assist if necessary.
Three shelters opened to house over 100 residents. Forecasters reported up to seven inches of rainfall, with 4.5 inches falling in just 37 minutes in some areas. Governor Morrisey noted the area lacked places for the water to dissipate. Aerial views showed extensive flooding in Buckhannon.
We don’t have an exact number, but we are concerned about fatalities,said Morrisey regarding unaccounted residents, adding that more information will be shared once available.
Lars Dalseide, Morrisey’s communications director, emphasized that information will be released following established procedures to ensure accuracy. Requests for further details from various officials were not immediately answered.
Images and videos on social media depicted submerged vehicles, including in a Walmart parking lot in Weston, where muddy water entered the store. Nearby, a hotel’s ground floor was flooded, and a man and his son evacuated their home just before a shed floated away. Emergency crews conducted numerous rescues of individuals trapped in vehicles, although some locations were inaccessible due to floodwaters.
Officials looked to identify locations for public donation drop-offs, with West Virginia Wesleyan College being a potential site, according to Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner. He stated, This is heartbreaking, but we will get through it.
The heavy rains were linked to storms that also led to tornadoes reaching from the Cincinnati area to New Jersey and New York suburbs. In central Ohio, strong winds damaged buildings and felled trees. At least 14 tornadoes were recorded across six states.
Flood warnings were active in several counties, with alerts posted from eastern Tennessee to Virginia and North Carolina. The ground was already saturated due to earlier storms delivering over two inches of rain on Saturday.
In Lewis and Upshur counties, home to about 40,000 residents, emergency services were busy late Tuesday night. First responders carried out water rescues, and floodwaters forced the closure of major routes such as Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 48. A storm-induced sinkhole consumed a vehicle at a bar in Fayetteville.
This flooding event comes a decade after severe rains claimed 23 lives in the same regions. A U.S. Geological Survey gauge recorded Sand Run creek at a record height, surpassing levels from a deadly 1985 flood event.