150 students and 50 adults are rescued from elementary school after flood waters consume town
Around 150 students and 50 adults evacuated Westernport Elementary School in Maryland via rescue boats Tuesday after severe flooding reportedly reached the second floor.
It took 15 boat trips to safely get those in the school to safety, Allegany County spokesperson Kati Kenney said. Students were taken to a church on higher ground, where they remained under the care of teachers and staff until their parents arrived.
"The first floor had been flooded all the way to the ceiling,' William Wade, a fourth-grader at the school, told KDKA.
"I'm just happy to be alive," Wade added.
Hours of heavy rainfall in Maryland also swamped downtown homes and businesses, prompting evacuations in nearby areas. Emergency crews from surrounding counties were assisting, but no injuries had been reported as of late Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy rainfall on Tuesday also affected parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Albemarle County, Virginia, where an unnamed 12-year-old boy went missing after being swept away by floodwaters overtaking a roadway, according to a 911 caller. A flood warning is in effect in the area until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Westernport, Maryland, Mayor Judy Hamilton noted that while the town has a history of severe flooding, Tuesday's events were unexpected.
"It just seemed to happen all at once," she said. "My heart is breaking."
Parts of Allegany County received over 4.65 inches of rain in 24 hours, with more expected through Wednesday morning, according to the governor's office. Residents noted they haven't seen flooding this bad since 1996.
Search efforts were paused overnight due to poor visibility and safety concerns, but will resume Wednesday. The Albemarle County Fire Rescue asked residents not to 'self-deploy' amid the dangerous conditions and that the department is not requesting any volunteer efforts at this time.
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