'Heartbreaking': Flash floods sweep away boy, 12; trapped kids rescued by boat
The storm, which in recent days dumped up to a foot of rain over some areas of the Southeast, moved into the Mid-Atlantic region with a vengeance Tuesday.
Widespread totals of 4-6 inches of rain were reported in western Virginia on Tuesday, the Weather Prediction Center said, with the highest recorded total of 6.8 inches in Ruckersville, a small town north of Charlottesville.
Flooding was reported in several states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and flood watches were issued Wednesday in all of them.
In all, nearly 6 million people in the Mid-Atlantic remained under a flood watch as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
A warm front lifting along the East Coast was expected to bring thunderstorms and more rain to the region Wednesday and Thursday, the National Weather Service said. According to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, a band of steady rain is expected from the upper mid-Atlantic to southwestern New England into Wednesday evening, with New York City at the center of the wet conditions. Enough rain can fall to lead to flash urban flooding and slow travel due to ponding on some roads.
In Virginia, search crews near Charlottesville on Wednesday located remains believed to be those of 12-year-old Jordan Sims. Albemarle County Fire Rescue personnel and police had been dispatched late Tuesday for a swift water rescue after a 911 caller reported the youth was swept away as he walked down a road. Authorities said rushing water in a nearby creek overwhelmed the area.
First responders had paused the search late Tuesday, citing limited visibility "and the safety of all those involved" in the search, Fire Rescue said in a social media post. The search resumed Wednesday and the remains were found.
"This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims' family and loved ones," 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."
Floodwaters were still working down some larger streams and rivers Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Baltimore said in a social media post.
"Be prepared for road closures, and turn around if you encounter high water," the post said.
Later in the week, much of the eastern half of the nation, including many Northeast states, will feel like summer, AccuWeather said in a forecast. By Friday, temperatures will surge well into the 80s over much of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states, AccuWeather said, with "pockets of 90-degree air" over the South Central and Southeast states.
Parts of North Carolina, still recovering from severe flooding driven by remnants of Hurricane Helene in September, has been blasted by storms and multiple inches of rain in recent days. The weather service in Raleigh warned that more "strong to severe storms" were expected late Wednesday.
The weather service said its survey of damage in Edgecombe County found 3 EF-1 tornadoes had slammed the area Monday and Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but some homes were damaged, authorities said.
Diana Hanson lives next to one of the damaged houses. She told the Rocky Mount Telegram she didn't hear the wind that uprooted a large tree next to her home because the rain was deafening.
"I've never seen it rain so hard," Hanson said.
In Maryland, the North Branch Potomac River and some tributaries crashed through their banks Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of schools and businesses. Waters were receding Wednesday, and Allegany County officials conducting damage assessments said some roads had been washed out.
In Westernport, officials said about 150 students and 50 adults had to be evacuated by rescue boats Tuesday from Westernport Elementary School. The floodwaters rose so quickly that kids and teachers were trapped inside as parents raced to the school to get their children.
Alley Wade, the mother of two boys in the school, told KDKA-TV that when she arrived, the water was too high for her to help. She said she had an agonizing wait on dry land while rescue boats saved her kids and the other people from the fast-rising waters.
"I didn't get any call from the school. I didn't know any plan. I didn't know anything. So, my instinct was get my kids," Wade said. "The first responders and the faculty of that school were phenomenal because I'm sure they were just as scared."
In the Western Pennsylvania borough of Meyersdale, 35 miles north of Westernport, Mayor Shane Smith issued a state of emergency Tuesday. The Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department issued a voluntary evacuation order for low-lying areas.
"The rivers are rising at a foot-and-a-half an hour, and we need you to move to higher ground," Smith said. "We will be setting up a warming and drying shelter in the coming hours, but until then, please, please, please move to higher ground ASAP."
− Beth Ann Miller and Madolin Edwards, The Daily American
'SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!': Atmospheric river dumps up to a foot of rain on Southeast.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow stretches of atmosphere that transport vast amounts of water vapor − like rivers in the sky. Atmospheric rivers can vary greatly in size and strength, but the weather service says the the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers can transport up to 15 times that amount of water.
This atmospheric river had been hovering over the Southeast for days, trapped by a strong high pressure system, before inching its way north.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boy, 12, swept away in floodwaters in Va.; schoolkids rescued in Md.
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