Flash floods triggered by torrential rain in northern West Virginia have left five people dead and three others missing as of Sunday, with emergency teams continuing rescue efforts and assessing widespread damage. The flooding severely affected Wheeling and Ohio County on Saturday night, when 2.5 to 4 inches (6 to 10 cm) of rain fell in just 30 minutes.
“We started getting 911 calls almost immediately,” said Lou Vargo, emergency management director for Ohio County. “The damage to roads and bridges was so severe that it delayed our ability to respond to many calls.”
Vargo, with 35 years of experience, said he had never witnessed flooding of this magnitude in the area.
Floodwaters swept vehicles into creeks, forced people to climb trees for safety, and even caused a mobile home to catch fire. The flash floods extended south to Marion County by early Sunday afternoon, where damage to roads, homes, and bridges was also reported. Officials noted that 911 services there had already handled at least 165 calls.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in both Marion and Ohio counties. He also mobilized the National Guard to assist in the emergency response. Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier said rescue efforts stretched into early Sunday morning, with crews now concentrating on areas along the Ohio River and Wheeling Creek. Drones, search dogs, and water rescue teams are combing through submerged vehicles and debris in hopes of locating the missing.
Power outages affected around 2,500 customers in the area by Sunday evening. At a press briefing, Governor Morrisey called the situation
“a unicorn event” due to the highly localized nature of the rainfall, noting that up to 4 inches of rain fell in under an hour. “This is extremely difficult to manage,” he said. “Right now, our top priority is to find anyone still missing.”
The flooding in West Virginia follows deadly rainfall in San Antonio, Texas, earlier in the week. There, more than 7 inches (18 cm) of rain fell in just a few hours on Thursday, resulting in 13 fatalities as floodwaters swept numerous vehicles into a creek.
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