Severe Flooding in West Virginia Leads to State of Emergency and Disrupted Services

As daylight broke over central West Virginia on Wednesday, the aftermath of severe storms revealed extensive damage and flooding. Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner expressed his shock at the unprecedented situation, stating, "I've never seen anything like this in my 37 years here." Buckhannon, a town of approximately 5,000 residents, is situated about 85 miles northeast of Charleston.

In response to the flooding, Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties in West Virginia. The storms that caused the flooding were also linked to tornadoes and damaging winds that impacted areas from Kentucky to New Jersey.

Emergency responders in Upshur County reported that numerous roads were flooded or washed out, complicating rescue and damage assessment efforts. The Upshur County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management noted that 911 services may be disrupted due to the flooding.

Approximately 300 members of the West Virginia National Guard were deployed to assist local emergency services in the hardest-hit areas. The storms produced over five inches of rain in a short period, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency.

Residents faced dire situations, with reports of families evacuating as floodwaters quickly rose. One local resident described the chaos as a storage shed and other debris were swept away by the current. The Sand Run stream gauge near Buckhannon reached a record high of 10.6 feet, surpassing the previous record set during the catastrophic floods of 1985.

Evacuations were ordered for a five-block area along the Buckhannon River, while residents in other parts of the county were advised to shelter in place. Communication outages hampered efforts to assess the damage, with many cell phone and internet services disrupted.

As of Wednesday morning, over 13,000 customers in five counties were without power, and major roadways, including nearly 10 miles of Interstate 79, were closed due to flooding. A shelter was established at Lewis County High School for those displaced by the floods.

Officials in Upshur County cautioned against uncoordinated volunteer efforts, emphasizing the need for organized responses to ensure safety and efficiency in ongoing operations. While the rain has subsided, rivers and streams are expected to continue rising as runoff flows through the area.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).