WESTON, West Virginia — In the early hours of Wednesday, West Virginia found itself grappling with severe flooding following a torrent of storms that unloaded over seven inches of rain in the north-central part of the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) responded swiftly by issuing a Flash Flood Emergency in response to the life-threatening conditions, and emergency services were inundated with calls for help.
In response to the severe weather’s impact, Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a State of Emergency, encompassing all 55 counties of the state late Tuesday night.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of fatalities or major injuries linked to the flooding.
Emergency responders were kept on their toes, fielding hundreds of distress calls due to the Flash Flood Emergency affecting Lewis, Randolph, and Upshur counties.
Governor Morrisey assured residents that reinforcements were on their way, with 100 National Guard members set to arrive in the afflicted counties by Tuesday night.
Interstate 79 remained closed due to flooding in the Weston area early Wednesday.
The National Weather Service designated the warning as a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) — a rare designation reserved for the most extreme and life-threatening flash flood events.
The Flash Flood Emergency was in effect until 10:30 p.m. ET.
Gov. Morrisey’s Office issued a State of Preparedness earlier in the day, ahead of the severe weather.
More than 7 inches of rain fell in Upshur County in a roughly 6 hour span beginning Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Morrisey said the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources conducted at least 33 water rescues Tuesday.
The City of Buckhannon issued an Immediate Evacuation Order early Wednesday for parts of the city due to “rapidly escalating hazardous conditions.”
Officials in Lewis County declared a local state of emergency after widespread flooding damaged public infrastructure, private property, roads, bridges, culverts, utilities and other critical facilities, according to the Lewis County Commission.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Lewis County Office of Emergency Management to coordinate all available local resources and request additional assistance from the West Virginia Emergency Management Division and, if necessary, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Authorities have conducted multiple water rescues, responded to dozens of flooded homes and impassable roads.
In addition to rescues, a creek near Buckhannon in north-central West Virginia, called Sand Run, surged to record levels.
According to preliminary river data, Sand Run rose more than 8 feet in less than five hours, cresting at over 10.63 feet, crushing the former record.
The rapid rise shattered the previous record of 8.34 feet, which was set in 1985 during one of the region’s most significant flood events.
“Please keep our first responders in your prayers tonight. Across central West Virginia, they are moving through complete darkness with only the lights from their trucks, boats and rescue equipment showing what is directly in front of them. They are driving into flooded areas where roads may be washed away and taking boats into fast-moving water filled with debris and hidden dangers,” Sen. Ben Queen, who represents the 12th District of West Virginia, said in a statement.
In addition to the flooding, there were also multiple tornado warnings issued in the northwest corner of the state Tuesday night.
Officials urge residents to avoid flooded roadways and heed all evacuation orders and emergency instructions as the flood emergency remains ongoing.
In a statement, Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick said, “As we reflect on today’s devastating storms, our hearts are with the many families across West Virginia who are facing unimaginable loss, damage, and uncertainty. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we stand with every community that has suffered loss.”