Body found believed to be boy swept away by floodwaters in Virginia

Washington Post

14-05-2025

Authorities on Wednesday recovered a body believed to be a 12-year-old boy who was swept away by rushing floodwaters Tuesday evening near Charlottesville, officials said, after a strong storm caused rivers and tributaries to overflow their banks in parts of the eastern United States.
The Albemarle County fire department said on X that firefighters were called at about 5:30 p.m. for a rescue near Newtown Road and Valley Green Drive, about 20 miles west of Charlottesville. The caller said a boy was walking outside when he was carried away by water that had overtaken the road from a nearby creek.
At approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, search crews in the area of Newtown Road located a body, believed to be the missing boy, whom authorities identified as Jordan Sims, the fire department said on X. The body will be transported to the medical examiner's office in Richmond for identification, the department said.
'This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with [the boy's] family and loved ones,' Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said. 'We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism, and care.'
The flooding in central Virginia and parts of Western Maryland occurred as an atmospheric river — a deep plume of moisture extending as far south as the Caribbean — unloaded torrential rainfall over many hours Tuesday. Downpours repeatedly cycled over the same areas, producing rainfall totals of 3 to 8 inches from around Charlottesville to Cumberland, Maryland.
Authorities have closed flood-affected roads in Virginia and Maryland.
Rain was particularly heavy along the spine and eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains where the air, rushing in from the south, was forced upward and intensified the precipitation.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, its most dire flood alert, for Greene and Madison counties in Virginia, just to the north of Charlottesville, Tuesday evening, where rainfall rates reached at least 1 to 2 inches per hour. Stream levels rose up to 6 feet in just two hours. The agency received multiple reports of closed roads and high-water rescues.
Although much of the heavy rain had ended in central Virginia by Wednesday morning, flood warnings remained in effect until midday in some areas because of overflowing waterways.
Schools in Allegany County, Maryland, were closed Wednesday after two elementary schools in the area were evacuated Tuesday because of flooding.
On Wednesday morning, authorities with the Allegany County emergency services department said crews were checking damage in the area near Georges Creek, which runs through the town of Westernport and empties into the North Branch of the Potomac River. Officials warned that waterway levels remain high and advised residents to stay off roads. In Cumberland, floodwaters covered streets and rose along the doors of parked vehicles, according to the local police department.
The Maryland Department of Emergency Management said a flood warning remained in effect for Allegany and Washington counties until 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in a news release Wednesday morning that his team remains in close contact with local officials and is coordinating the deployment of resources.
'I urge all Marylanders to remain vigilant, heed warnings from local officials, and prioritize safety during this time,' Moore said in the statement. If you don't have to go out, please do not go out. Stay off the roads if possible and heed any evacuation orders.'
Throughout the D.C. region, including in Takoma Park, Maryland, Alexandria, Virginia, and parts of the District, there were reports Tuesday night of officials closing roads because of fallen trees and downed power lines.
Additional showers and storms could affect the region between Wednesday and Friday, but a repeat of Tuesday's prolonged deluge is not anticipated.
The flooding occurred as the region is in the midst of a months-long drought. The rainfall was beneficial in that respect, but also a case of too much water in a relatively short time.