Sudden Flash Floods Kill 5 in West Virginia as Crews Race to Find Missing Amid Widespread Destruction
EXCERPT: Torrential rains overwhelmed towns in West Virginia, killing five and leaving three missing as roads and homes collapsed
Flash floods fueled by a sudden deluge of rain wreaked havoc across northern West Virginia over the weekend, killing at least five people and leaving three others missing, officials confirmed Sunday. The flooding followed a violent burst of 2.5 to 4 inches of rain in under 30 minutes on Saturday night, overwhelming drainage systems and sweeping vehicles, homes, and infrastructure in its path.
Emergency crews in Ohio and Marion counties worked through the night and into Sunday using drones, search dogs, and swift water teams to comb through debris and swollen creeks for the missing. Some residents had to climb trees to escape rising waters, while one mobile home caught fire amid the chaos. In Marion County alone, more than 165 emergency calls were logged as bridges and roads collapsed under the weight of the floodwaters.
“This came on so fast I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Lou Vargo, Ohio County’s emergency management director. Fire Chief Jim Blazier described search operations along lWheeling Creek and the Ohio River, as rescue teams pushed through submerged wreckage.
By Sunday evening, Governor Patrick Morrisey had declared a state of emergency in both counties, deployed the National Guard, and reported 2,500 power outages across the region.
He called the storm a “unicorn event,” citing the unusually concentrated rainfall and its devastating impact.
The West Virginia disaster comes just days after 13 people were killedby flash flooding in San Antonio, Texas, underscoring the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events across the US.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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