Flash flooding kills 3 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing people

Flash flooding caused by torrential rains person killed 3 radical successful bluish West Virginia and rescue crews are retired searching for missing people

Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed 3 radical successful bluish West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for missing radical Sunday, portion authorities were assessing harm to roads, bridges, earthy state lines and different infrastructure.

Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches (6 to 10 centimeters) of rainfall fell successful parts of Wheeling and Ohio County wrong astir a fractional hr connected Saturday night.

“We astir instantly started getting 911 calls for rescue of radical being trapped,” Lou Vargo, Ohio County's exigency absorption director, said astatine a quality league Sunday. “During this clip we had large infrastructure harm to roads, bridges, and highways wherever we couldn't respond to a batch of incidents. So we were delayed successful getting determination due to the fact that determination was conscionable truthful overmuch damage."

Vargo added: “It happened truthful rapidly and truthful fast. … I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’ve seen large floods present successful the metropolis and the county. I’ve ne'er seen thing similar this.”

Authorities said vehicles were swept into successful swollen creeks, immoderate radical sought information successful trees and a mobile location caught fire.

Jim Blazier, the occurrence main successful Wheeling successful the state's bluish panhandle, said crews performed rescue operations into Sunday's aboriginal greeting hours. He said archetypal responders regrouped Sunday greeting and were focused connected an country from the Ohio authorities enactment crossed the Ohio River to Wheeling Creek.

“We’re searching the banks, we’re searching submerged vehicles, immoderate debris we find on the way and truthful forth,” Blazier said. “We’re utilizing drones, hunt dogs and swift h2o personnel, and we person teams organized that are searching sectors that we’re trying to retrieve anybody that’s missing.”

There were astir 4,000 powerfulness outages successful the county. Restoration efforts were hampered by earthy state leaks that person to beryllium fixed first, officials said.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a authorities of exigency successful Ohio County. He said authorities constabulary and different authorities officials were responding, and helium directed the National Guard to supply immoderate needed assistance.

“Please support this assemblage successful your prayers,” Morrisey said successful a connection Sunday. “More storms are expected successful the portion today. Please travel each directives from section and authorities exigency absorption officials and bash not effort to thrust done flooded roads.”

The West Virginia rains followed heavy downpours successful San Antonio connected Thursday that killed 13 people. More than 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rainfall fell implicit a span of hours successful the Texas city, causing fast-rising floodwaters to transportation much than a twelve cars into a creek.

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