Latest news with #AlleyWade
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
150 students evacuated from Westport, Md., school amid flooding
About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated from an elementary school in Maryland after hours of heavy rains driven by an atmospheric river caused major flooding in multiple eastern states. Rescue boats were deployed to evacuate the students from Westernport Elementary School in Westernport, about 160 miles west of Baltimore, after the North Branch Potomac River and some tributaries burst their banks on May 13, according to multiple reports. The floodwaters rose so quickly that children 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 when she arrived, the water was too high for her to help. She said she had to wait on dry land for rescue boats to save her kids and the other people. Mid-Atlantic flooding news: Boy, 12, swept away as floodwaters rage; schoolkids rescued by boat "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." William Wade, a fourth-grade student at Westernport Elementary School, told KDKA "the first floor had been flooded all the way to the ceiling." Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, in an update around 4:40 p.m. May 13, said all students and staff members of Westernport Elementary had been safely evacuated to a church in Westernport, with students awaiting parent pickup. The post added rescue operations were also being carried out at Georges Creek Elementary, about 10 miles from Westernport, while Westmar Middle students were sheltering in place. Authorities announced all Allegany County Public Schools would remain closed May 14 and no virtual learning will take place. Allegany County Department of Emergency Services spokesperson Kati Kenney confirmed May 14 all students and staff members were safely evacuated and there were "no injuries or missing people." Floodwaters are still working down some larger streams and rivers Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Baltimore said in a post on X. "Be prepared for road closures, and turn around if you encounter high water," the post said. Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, in an update May 14, advised residents to stay off the roads in Georges Creek, warning "waters are still high, and conditions remain hazardous." "For your safety − and the safety of our emergency services − we're asking everyone who can, to please stay in place and off the roads," the department said. What is an atmospheric river? Heavy rain fueled by atmospheric river threatens more Mid-Atlantic flooding Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 150 students evacuated from Westport, Md., school amid flooding
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
150 students evacuated from elementary school in rescue boats amid Maryland flooding
150 students evacuated from elementary school in rescue boats amid Maryland flooding Show Caption Hide Caption See flooding that forced an elementary school to evacuate in Maryland Over 200 students and staff were evacuated from Westernport Elementary School in Maryland after heavy rain caused a flash flood. About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated from an elementary school in Maryland after hours of heavy rains driven by an atmospheric river caused major flooding in multiple eastern states. Rescue boats were deployed to evacuate the students from Westernport Elementary School in Westernport, about 160 miles west of Baltimore, after the North Branch Potomac River and some tributaries burst their banks on May 13, according to multiple reports. The floodwaters rose so quickly that children 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 when she arrived, the water was too high for her to help. She said she had to wait on dry land for rescue boats to save her kids and the other people. Mid-Atlantic flooding news: Boy, 12, swept away as floodwaters rage; schoolkids rescued by boat "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." William Wade, a fourth-grade student at Westernport Elementary School, told KDKA "the first floor had been flooded all the way to the ceiling." All students safely evacuated Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, in an update around 4:40 p.m. May 13, said all students and staff members of Westernport Elementary had been safely evacuated to a church in Westernport, with students awaiting parent pickup. The post added rescue operations were also being carried out at Georges Creek Elementary, about 10 miles from Westernport, while Westmar Middle students were sheltering in place. Authorities announced all Allegany County Public Schools would remain closed May 14 and no virtual learning will take place. Allegany County Department of Emergency Services spokesperson Kati Kenney confirmed May 14 all students and staff members were safely evacuated and there were "no injuries or missing people." 'Be prepared' for 'high water,' weather service warns Floodwaters are still working down some larger streams and rivers Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Baltimore said in a post on X. "Be prepared for road closures, and turn around if you encounter high water," the post said. Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, in an update May 14, advised residents to stay off the roads in Georges Creek, warning "waters are still high, and conditions remain hazardous." "For your safety − and the safety of our emergency services − we're asking everyone who can, to please stay in place and off the roads," the department said. What is an atmospheric river? Heavy rain fueled by atmospheric river threatens more Mid-Atlantic flooding Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Terror in classroom as flash flooding sends gushing river onto campus while students flee
Flash flooding has reached new levels in Maryland as water levels breached the second floor of a school, prompting evacuations. Around 150 school children and 50 teachers fled by boat after Westernport Elementary School was deluged by raging floodwaters on Tuesday. The water rose so quickly that the students were trapped inside the building, including brothers William and Quinton Wade. 'I'm just happy to be alive,' fourth-grade student William Wade told CBS. 'I went on a motorboat and they drove us over to where there was no water and we saw how high the water was,' he added. 'We went over to the train tracks and we got on like this little truck thingy. We took off our life vests, and they drove us up to a church.' 'Whenever we were going down to get in the boat, the first floor was flooded,' second-grade student Quinton added. Longtime Westernport resident and mother of the two boys Alley Wade said she has never seen flooding so bad in the rural town, which sits close to the West Virginia border. 'I have never. Now, I believe there was a bad flood in 1996, but I was 4,' she told CBS. Homes and businesses in downtown Westernport were also inundated with floodwaters after hours of heavy rain. Officials reassured the public that students and staff were safe as concerned parents and other community members posted on social media wondering how long the emergency situation would last at Westernport Elementary School. Allegany County spokesperson Kati Kenney said responders used rescue boats to safely evacuate the school. About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated during 15 boat trips. Kenney said additional evacuations were underway in nearby areas, with reports of people trapped in cars and houses, but no injuries had been reported as of late Tuesday afternoon. She said emergency crews from surrounding counties were helping with the response in the small community near the West Virginia line. Another elementary school was also evacuated, and students at a middle school were sheltering in place, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said Tuesday evening. Officials said three emergency shelters had been opened across the county. Aaron Stallings, rushed to Westernport Elementary to pick up his little sister earlier Tuesday afternoon, but he soon realized his car wouldn't make it. Stallings said he hopped a fence and made his way on foot through the shin-deep water. 'I knew my car was not going to get through, so I had to find an alternate route,' he said. Stallings said children were being kept on the second and third floors when he made his way inside. Minutes after he located his sister with the help of the principal, the water level on the first floor had already risen again to his knees and was rushing under the school doors. Once he waded back outside with his sister, Stallings turned around to capture video of the scene, where parked cars and a dumpster were floating through the school's parking lot. Alley Wade also left work early when she heard about flooding downtown. She and her husband hoped to pick up their two sons, ages 8 and 10, but they couldn't get to the school because roads were already closed. Instead, they spent most of the afternoon standing around in the rain anxiously watching the floodwaters rise. 'It was stressful because I felt so helpless,' Wade said. The family was finally reunited after the students had been evacuated. Wade said there were a lot of crying kids, but thankfully everyone was safe. Roads throughout the area were closed due to flooding, including major arteries, according to the Allegany County Sheriff's Office. Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton said the town has been prone to severe flooding in the past, but they weren't expecting it today. 'It just seemed to happen all at once,' she said. 'My heart is breaking.' She said the evacuated students were taken to higher ground and sheltered in a church building, where they would be kept safe by teachers and staff until their parents could pick them up. Around 150 school children and 50 teachers fled by boat after Westernport Elementary School was deluged by raging floodwaters on Tuesday With a population under 2,000 people, Westernport is located in the far corner of western Maryland. Its downtown took shape in a valley where George's Creek flows into the North Branch Potomac River. The National Weather Service reported widespread flash flooding in the area Tuesday afternoon. 'We are closely monitoring the flood conditions that are present across Western Maryland due to heavy rainfall, especially in Allegany County,' Gov. Wes Moore said in a social media post, adding that the state and local authorities were actively responding to the inundation. Hamilton said the last time Westernport suffered from devastating floods was in 1996. 'But we're strong and we always build back,' she said. In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency Tuesday night in Mineral County, along the Maryland border, due to severe storms and heavy rains that resulted in flash flooding. The declaration allows the state to mobilize personnel and resources to the area.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Heavy rain fueled by atmospheric river threatens more Mid-Atlantic flooding
Heavy rain fueled by atmospheric river threatens more Mid-Atlantic flooding Show Caption Hide Caption Soaking rain causes flooding emergency in Maryland Days of storms are leading to serious problems in the mid-Atlantic. Hours of heavy rains driven by an atmospheric river lingering Wednesday over multiple eastern states was fueling flooding and the threat of more high water rescues. 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. Flooding was reported in several states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. In Maryland, the North Branch Potomac River and some tributaries burst their banks on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of schools and businesses, according to multiple reports. In Westernport, officials said about 150 students and 50 adults had to be evacuated by rescue boats 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 to wait on dry land for rescue boats to save her kids and the other people. "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." Floodwaters are 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. '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.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Student rescued from flooded Maryland elementary school says he's "happy to be alive"
Flash flooding hit parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland, including in Westernport, where floodwaters breached the second floor of an elementary school. Officials said about 150 students and 50 adults had to be evacuated from Westernport Elementary School. 200 people rescued from flooded Maryland elementary school KDKA-TV's Jessica Guay spoke to two young students and their mother, who are thankful to be home safe on Tuesday. The Wade brothers don't want to ever relive this day at school. "Whenever we were going down to get in the boat, the first floor was flooded," said Quinton Wade, a second-grade student at Westernport Elementary School. "The first floor had been flooded all the way to the ceiling," said William Wade, a fourth-grade student at Westernport Elementary School. Parents race to Westernport Elementary School to save their kids The flooding came so fast that it trapped William Wade and Quinton Wade inside the elementary school. Their parents raced from their jobs to the school to get their boys. "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," the boys' mom, Alley Wade, said. And even when she did get to the school, the water was too high for her to do anything. She had to wait on dry land for rescue boats to save her kids and the other people. "I went on a motorboat and they drove us over to where there was no water and we saw how high the water was," William Wade said. "We went over to the train tracks and we got on like this little truck thingy. We took off our life vests, and they drove us up to a church." Two hours after the rescues started, the boys were reunited with their parents. Their mom has never seen flooding this bad in her town. "I have never. Now, I believe there was a bad flood in 1996, but I was 4," Alley Wade said. She's thankful for everyone who helped keep her sons safe. "The first responders and the faculty of that school were phenomenal because I'm sure they were just as scared," she said. And it's a school day her boys will never forget. "I'm just happy to be alive," William Wade said. The family says their home is OK, but they know people downtown who are now dealing with water in their homes.
