Latest news with #JordanSims
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Heartbreaking': Flash floods sweep away boy, 12; trapped kids rescued by boat
A Maryland school required evacuation by rescue boats and a child died in Virginia as an unrelenting atmospheric river pounded multiple eastern states with heavy rains and fueled dangerous flash flooding. 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.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
12-year-old Virginia boy dead after being swept away by floodwaters in Virginia
May 14 (UPI) -- The body of a 12-year-old boy in Virginia was found Wednesday after he was swept away by floodwaters that hit the region after heavy rain the day before. On Tuesday, emergency personnel received a call at about 5:30 p.m. local time to report a "swift water rescue" after a young boy was taken by rushing water near a roadway after a creek overflowed in central Virginia's Albemarle County. The search was called off after three hours when it got to dark but resumed in the Crozet area off Interstate 64 near Charlottesville. "Search crews in the area of Newtown Road located a deceased individual, believed to be missing 12-year-old Jordan Sims," the Albemarle County Fire Department said just before 8:45 a.m. Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service had issued a flood warning for the area between Charlottesville and Waynesboro that stretched to the northwest and southwest corners of Albemarle County. The boy's recovered body was reportedly transported to the state medical examiner's office in Richmond to be officially identified. "This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims' family and loved ones," Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said in a statement posted to Facebook. "We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism and care," he continued. On Tuesday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a state of emergency ordering the Mineral State's medical and emergency personnel and its other resources to mobilize. Meanwhile, about 200 people were rescued from a flooded school in neighboring Maryland with toppled trees that impeded traffic in the Washington-area after rain inundated Virginia, western Maryland and Pennsylvania. "Our hearts are crushed as we learn of the loss of Jordan Sims, who was tragically swept away by floodwaters in Albemarle County," Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted Wednesday on X just before noon local time, thanking first responders and swift-water rescue teams "who searched tirelessly for Jordan." "Suzanne and I are lifting up in prayer Jordan's family, friends and the entire community in this most difficult time." "As these storms continue throughout the week, we ask everyone to please remain vigilant," the Republican governor advised.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Virginia boy dead, 200 evacuated as heavy rains and flooding hit several states; ‘This is a heartbreaking'
The body of a 12-year-old boy has been found after he was swept away by rushing water on a Virginia roadway, while a dozen students stayed overnight at a Maryland high school as heavy rains led to flooding in several states, officials said. A 911 caller reported Tuesday night that the boy was walking outside when he was swept away by water that overtook the roadway from a nearby creek, Albemarle County Fire Rescue said in a social media post. The body of what is believed to be Jordan Sims was found by crews searching for him about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, the county agency stated. The body will be taken a medical examiner's office in Richmond for positive identification. 'This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims' family and loved ones,' Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said in statement. 'We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism, and care.' In Maryland's Allegany County, officials said about 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated Tuesday afternoon from Westernport Elementary School, one of three county schools that were evacuated. Allegany County Public Schools said 12 students stayed overnight at Mountain Ridge High School before being picked up Wednesday morning. County schools were closed Wednesday. There were no reports of injuries or missing persons, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said in a Wednesday morning update. Officials urged residents to stay home, warning that several secondary roads have been washed out. Emergency crews from surrounding counties in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania were helping, officials said. The Potomac River remained within its banks, with only minor flooding reported in the Mexico Farms area, and conditions were generally improving, officials said. Crews were assessing damage after water receded in the Georges Creek area. Maryland's Department of Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center to coordinate the state's response. Roads in both Allegany and Garrett counties were closed because of flooding, according to state officials. Allegany County officials reported that floodwaters have caused washouts and gas line leaks. 'We remain in close contact with local officials and continue to coordinate resources as the rain continues to fall,' Gov. Wes Moore said in a press release. "I urge all Marylanders to remain vigilant, heed warnings from local officials, and prioritize safety during this time.' In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency Tuesday night in Mineral County, near Maryland, because of heavy rains and flash flooding, allowing the state to send resources.
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Body found believed to be boy swept away by floodwaters in Virginia
Authorities on Wednesday recovered a body believed to be a 12-year-old boy who was swept away by rushing floodwaters Tuesday evening near Charlottesville, officials said, after a strong storm caused rivers and tributaries to overflow their banks in parts of the eastern United States. The Albemarle County fire department said on X that firefighters were called at about 5:30 p.m. for a rescue near Newtown Road and Valley Green Drive, about 20 miles west of Charlottesville. The caller said a boy was walking outside when he was carried away by water that had overtaken the road from a nearby creek. At approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, search crews in the area of Newtown Road located a body, believed to be the missing boy, whom authorities identified as Jordan Sims, the fire department said on X. The body will be transported to the medical examiner's office in Richmond for identification, the department said. 'This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with [the boy's] family and loved ones,' Albemarle County 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.' The flooding in central Virginia and parts of Western Maryland occurred as an atmospheric river — a deep plume of moisture extending as far south as the Caribbean — unloaded torrential rainfall over many hours Tuesday. Downpours repeatedly cycled over the same areas, producing rainfall totals of 3 to 8 inches from around Charlottesville to Cumberland, Maryland. Authorities have closed flood-affected roads in Virginia and Maryland. Rain was particularly heavy along the spine and eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains where the air, rushing in from the south, was forced upward and intensified the precipitation. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, its most dire flood alert, for Greene and Madison counties in Virginia, just to the north of Charlottesville, Tuesday evening, where rainfall rates reached at least 1 to 2 inches per hour. Stream levels rose up to 6 feet in just two hours. The agency received multiple reports of closed roads and high-water rescues. Although much of the heavy rain had ended in central Virginia by Wednesday morning, flood warnings remained in effect until midday in some areas because of overflowing waterways. Schools in Allegany County, Maryland, were closed Wednesday after two elementary schools in the area were evacuated Tuesday because of flooding. On Wednesday morning, authorities with the Allegany County emergency services department said crews were checking damage in the area near Georges Creek, which runs through the town of Westernport and empties into the North Branch of the Potomac River. Officials warned that waterway levels remain high and advised residents to stay off roads. In Cumberland, floodwaters covered streets and rose along the doors of parked vehicles, according to the local police department. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management said a flood warning remained in effect for Allegany and Washington counties until 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in a news release Wednesday morning that his team remains in close contact with local officials and is coordinating the deployment of resources. 'I urge all Marylanders to remain vigilant, heed warnings from local officials, and prioritize safety during this time,' Moore said in the statement. If you don't have to go out, please do not go out. Stay off the roads if possible and heed any evacuation orders.' Throughout the D.C. region, including in Takoma Park, Maryland, Alexandria, Virginia, and parts of the District, there were reports Tuesday night of officials closing roads because of fallen trees and downed power lines. Additional showers and storms could affect the region between Wednesday and Friday, but a repeat of Tuesday's prolonged deluge is not anticipated. The flooding occurred as the region is in the midst of a months-long drought. The rainfall was beneficial in that respect, but also a case of too much water in a relatively short time.
