At least two people are unaccounted for in Upshur county, West Virginia, after torrential rain caused flash floods in parts of the state this week, governor Patrick Morrisey said on Thursday. Morrisey said state police had located an overturned vehicle believed to be connected to two individuals reported missing, while search and recovery operations continued.
The state had already declared a state of emergency across all 55 counties and deployed 500 national guard members as emergency crews responded to widespread flooding, storm damage and power outages.
What did the governor say about the missing people?
Morrisey said on Thursday morning that at least two people are missing in Upshur county. During the search and recovery operations, state police found an overturned vehicle believed to be “connected to two individuals who were reported missing”.
“Because of dangerous conditions and a significant amount of debris surrounding the vehicle, responders have still be unable to safely access it,”
He said the effort was still ongoing.
“Once responders are able to safely complete the operation, and there’s been formal identification, as well as notification of next of kin, we will release additional information. Our thoughts are obviously with the families who are going through a very, very difficult time.”
On , Morrisey said at a news conference that the state remained in a “phase of search and rescue” with teams working to “identify any individual who we might be able to save”.
“We are concerned about loss of life,”
How did West Virginia prepare for the severe weather?
On Tuesday, Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties across West Virginia and issued a “state of preparedness” as severe weather approached, directing state agencies to stand ready to respond. Initially, about 100 national guard members were to the hardest-hit areas but then on Wednesday another were mobilized to support ongoing flood-response operations.
The governor’s office said on Tuesday that “a series of storm systems” had “moved across the state” and produced “severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, torrential rainfall, mudslides and rapidly rising water in many communities”.
The most significant impacts, the office said, were reported in Lewis, Pleasants and Upshur counties, where flooding and related damage had prompted emergency response efforts.
What damage has been reported?
On Thursday, Morrisey said “a lot of homes” were “destroyed” and businesses “harmed,” noting that the state will ensure that “those damage assessments get reported” and urging people to fill out an online form to report damages.
Images and videos shared online show vehicles , flooded and neighborhood streets .
During the news conference on Wednesday, Morrisey described the storms as “quite extraordinary” and noted that “we had a significant amount of rainfall occur within a very short period of time”.
In Upshur county, he said, about 4.5in of rain fell in just 37 minutes.
“When things like that happen, there’s no place for the water to go,”
“And so that’s one of the reasons why you see here in Upshur county that there’s still a fair amount of water covering parts of the city.”
Are people still without power?
The governor also said his office was aware that “there are still many people who are without power here in the mountain state” and said that “utility crews are working very very hard to get to all these places”.
As of Thursday morning, there were more than 6,000 residents in West Virginia without power, according to .
During the news conference, Morrisey said what “we’re hearing is that the main line of the severe weather has moved through”, but he warned that “the ground is still saturated and the rivers remain high, so we’re going to continue to consult with the National Weather Service and monitor all the conditions around the clock.
“This is a time for West Virginians to come together to do everything possible, not only to pray for all those who are affected, but we’re going to need a lot of help in the days and weeks ahead,”
“Let’s help these communities rebuild.”
What work is being done on roads and forecasts?
On Wednesday evening, the West Virginia department of transportation crews were out in “full force” working to “clear debris, remove downed trees and safely reopen roads”.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Charleston, West Virginia, on Thursday morning that “quiet weather is expected through the end of the work week, with patchy dense fog possible each night”, but that “chances of showers and thunderstorms begin working back into the area over the weekend”.
Key Facts
- At least two people are unaccounted for in Upshur county after flash floods caused by torrential rain.
- Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 West Virginia counties and issued a state of preparedness on Tuesday.
- About 100 national guard members were first deployed, and another were mobilized on Wednesday.
- More than 6,000 residents were without power in West Virginia as of Thursday morning.
- In Upshur county, about 4.5in of rain fell in 37 minutes.
