At Least 3 Dead in West Virginia Flash Flooding
At least three people died and several others were missing in West Virginia after flash flooding destroyed homes and washed away roads, officials said on Sunday.
Louis Vargo, the director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said at a news conference on Sunday that rainstorms Saturday night quickly became dangerous in Ohio County, which is about 50 miles west of Pittsburgh.
Roads remain clogged with debris as emergency workers try to rescue those caught in the storm, Mr. Vargo said.
In a 30-minute period on Saturday night, 2.5 to four inches of rain fell, Mr. Vargo said, citing National Weather Service estimates. He said he had worked in emergency management in the county for 35 years.
'I've never seen anything like this,' he said.
Officials did not provide details about the deaths. It was not immediately clear how many people were missing.
Mr. Vargo said there were four or five people reported missing, but it's possible that they just hadn't turned on their cellphones or weren't getting phone service.
He encouraged people to contact the emergency management agency if a loved one was missing.
Jim Blazier, chief of the Wheeling Fire Department, said emergency workers were using drones, dogs and swift water rescue teams to look for those missing.
More rain was expected in the area in the coming days. The National Weather Service said there could be another round of flash flooding on Sunday.
Power outages were reported on Sunday afternoon, according to the Appalachian Power Company. Efforts to restore power were impeded by natural gas leaks, Mr. Vargo said. If power is turned on before a gas leak is fixed, it could cause an explosion.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia declared a state of emergency in Ohio County on Sunday.
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