6 Dead in West Virginia Flash Flood Over the Weekend – The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator

Severe flash flooding in West Virginia over the weekend has left at least six people dead, one of whom was a 3-year-old child, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Two people remain missing. 

Roads and bridges have been damaged from the powerful rushing flood waters that swept away cars into creeks and left debris in their wake. 

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency rather than a warning alone for Marion County.

The Wheeling area was victim to some of the worst flooding, with around 4 inches of rain per hour at some points. CNN reports that up to 4 inches fell in some areas in about half an hour on Saturday night. 

Wheeling Creek rose 7 feet in less than two hours. The flooding primarily took place in the northern and central regions of the state.

Morrisey declared a state of emergency Sunday due to the collapse of a residential apartment building. A mobile home also caught on fire. 

“Please — stay off the roads. Do not underestimate the strength and speed of these floods. Pray for our friends and neighbors during this challenging time for our state,” said the governor.

The governor ordered that the National Guard aid in emergency operations.

Rescue efforts began Saturday as the storm led to numerous 911 calls. Emergency aid centers are operational for people who have been affected by the storms.

Natural gas leak repairs are being prioritized before crews can begin working on getting the power back on for areas experiencing outages.

Lou Vargo, the director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said, “[I]t happened so quickly and so fast. … I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’ve seen major floods here in the city and the county. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The fire chief in Wheeling, Jim Blazier, said, “We’re using drones, search dogs and swift water personnel, and we have teams organized that are searching sectors that we’re trying to recover anybody that’s missing.”

Unfortunately, there will continue to be rainfall through the next few days, according to Fox Weather.

While rain has lessened from the dangerous flooding levels, impacted areas have sustained incredible damage from the powerful rush of the waters. As more rain comes throughout the week, rescue conditions will become more perilous.

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