At Least 3 Dead in West Virginia Flash Flooding
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.
Forecast risk of excessive rain for Sunday
Some
Moderate
High
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wednesday Cannon Fodder: Back to School
It's a drizzly morning here in Washington, D.C., so I hope the weather is better for the rest of y'all, TSFers. I really shouldn't complain, though. At the end of spring, we planted some new trees in our backyard and the above-average rainy summer we've had has really saved my butt on the water bill (and hassle). The nursery wanted me to water them every 3-4 days — I would have been moving the hose around the yard all summer. It's back to school season. I know some are already back — our dear friend 06Nole (Tony) is one of them. My brother-in-law, who teaches in Switzerland, went back this week. My local schools go back this coming Tuesday. I know a bunch of y'all have been dropping kids off at college and grad school. Do you have any Back to School traditions or memories? Did anything funny happen this year as the (not so) little ones went off to their first day? My dad and sister would always go out for pancake breakfast the day before the school year started. Let us know in the comments! Yes, I saw the Arsenal news from today. Kai Havertz has a knee injury — prognosis and duration unclear. I'll get to it later this morning. Sigh. Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
28 minutes ago
- NBC News
Hurricane Erin prompts tropical storm warning for North Carolina
A tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina as Hurricane Erin churns up the east coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm. The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that the storm was about 400 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A state of emergency has been declared for the entire state as the storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving north-northwest at 13 mph, the hurricane center said in its 8 a.m. EST update. Erin is already a large hurricane, with winds extending outward up to 90 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 265 miles from the center. It is expected to remain a hurricane this week while growing in size as it continues its trek across the Atlantic and eventually turns out to sea. The storm is expected to take a turn north-northeast on Wednesday and move over the western Atlantic Ocean between the east coast of the U.S. and Bermuda, before passing south of Atlantic Canada into the weekend, the hurricane center said. Erin will make its closest pass to the U.S. on Thursday, when the onshore winds will be strongest, leading to coastal flood concerns and dangerous rip currents. The heavy rain will remain offshore so that the strong winds will be the most noticeable impact. Erin could strengthen on Wednesday and Thursday but is expected to begin weakening by Friday, the hurricane center said. The 8 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center added that the tropical storm warning for North Carolina includes the border of the state with Virginia. Storm surge warnings are also in place for the state. From Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina, 2 to 4 feet of storm surge flooding is possible along the coast, according to the hurricane center. Additionally, 1 to 2 inches of rain could hit the Outer Banks on Wednesday and Thursday. "Weather conditions expected to deteriorate along the coast of North Carolina by this evening," the hurricane center said. "Beachgoers are cautioned against swimming at most U.S. East Coast beaches due to life-threatening rip currents." Video from North Carolina shows major waves rolling onto land, flooding roads and beachfront homes. Swells caused by the hurricane will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the east coast of the U.S. over the next several days, with rough oceans expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents, the hurricane center said. The National Weather Service in Jacksonville, Florida, also warned of dangerous surf conditions and rip tides on Wednesday. "Dangerous Marine & Surf Conditions worsen today as waves & winds increase. Deadly rip currents, high surf & minor tidal flooding around high tide this evening at the coast," the NWS said on X. "Stay out of the ocean!" Other states this week have similarly issued warnings to stay out of the ocean, including in New Jersey and New York, as beaches in North Carolina already reported several rip current rescues on Tuesday. "We are hyper, hyper concerned, first and foremost about complacency, particularly when the weather is really good Thursday afternoon through Sunday, in terms of people sort of thinking about going in the water because these rip currents are brutal," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "Please, don't go into the water." New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday prohibited swimming at Long Island beaches because of the swells that are expected in the area. Swimming at New York City beaches is also barred on Wednesday and Thursday. Coastal towns such as Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Wildwood, New Jersey, have issued no-swimming advisories for the week. Rip currents were observed on Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Wilmington said on X. The agency warned of "dangerous rips & rough surf" that will continue through Friday.
CNN
28 minutes ago
- CNN
Hurricane Erin is about to unleash the sea on the East Coast
Update: Date: 7 min ago Title: Who's under an evacuation order? Content: Officials in North Carolina's Outer Banks region have been urging residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Erin. Dare and Hyde counties, which encompass most of the Outer Banks, issued local states of emergency with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands earlier this week. Hurricane Erin, a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane, is churning closer to the barrier islands and could intensify slightly today as it makes its way up the US East Coast. Since Erin isn't expected to make landfall, officials worry some may not heed the warnings. 'I know many who live on the island feel they can ride out a storm, but Hurricane Erin is different,' Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said in a Tuesday news release. 'Extended flooding and the threat to Highway 12 will severely limit our ability to respond — and even a slight shift in Erin's track toward our coast could bring much more dangerous conditions. Please, do not take the risk. Evacuate now, while it is still safe to do so.' Erin's winds could push up to 4 feet of storm surge onto the Outer Banks late Wednesday into Thursday. Update: Date: 15 min ago Title: Erin is a large, powerful hurricane. Here's where it is Content: As of 8 a.m. ET, Erin is a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph. It's tracking to the north-northwest while located about 400 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Erin will largely parallel the US East Coast without making landfall as it moves farther north. It's still bringing considerable risks to the coast, especially North Carolina, because of its large size. The hurricane's greatest threats will impact North Carolina, especially the Outer Banks barrier islands, late today into tomorrow. Up to 4 feet of storm surge is possible in the Outer Banks as Erin's expansive winds push water on land. Erin is also churning up dangerous seas: Waves of 20 feet or higher could crash into parts of the Outer Banks tonight, with 30-foot waves just offshore. Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are likely right along the coast. Conditions along other East Coast beaches will continue to deteriorate today with a high risk of rip currents in place for much of the coastline.
