At least four people died and four people 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 but said that one of the victims was a 3-year-old.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon that four people remained 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.
The National Weather Service said there could be another round of flash flooding on Sunday because of “saturated grounds and heavy rainfall from slow-moving showers and thunderstorms.”
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.
Mr. Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Ohio County on Sunday.
“Please do not get on the road in the affected areas,” the governor urged residents during the news conference. “Stay off the road.”
Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.
Amanda Holpuch covers breaking news and other topics.
The post At Least 4 Dead and 4 Missing in West Virginia Flash Flooding appeared first on New York Times.
