WHEELING, W. Va. – At least six people have been killed, and at least two others remain unaccounted for after dangerous flash flooding impacted Wheeling and surrounding communities in West Virginia over the weekend, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told FOX Weather on Monday morning.
The governor said during a news conference Sunday that a 3-year-old child was among the deaths being attributed to flash flooding.
"If you look at what happened over the last couple of days, you had this nasty weather, and it came together – it just hit particular areas with 4 inches of rain in 40 minutes," Morrisey said Monday afternoon.
Search and rescue efforts resumed Monday morning, and officials continued to urge people to stay off local roads. The state's National Guard has been activated.
Most of the impacts from the flash flooding were in the northern and central parts of the state where dozens of roads remain closed.
States of emergency are in effect in Ohio County and in Marion County, where an apartment building partially collapsed.
Lou Vargo, the director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency, told FOX Weather that as soon as the rain began Saturday, 911 calls requesting help were received. Some people were forced to cling to trees to keep from being carried away by the fast-moving floodwaters.
Numerous Flash Flood Warnings and a rare Flash Flood Emergency were issued by the National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh late Saturday night and early Sunday morning as the rain was falling, overwhelming rivers and streams and sending water rushing into communities.
"Pure devastation," Morrisey said, regarding flood damage in Triadelphia.
Water service to Ohio County was restored Monday after it was disrupted by floods over the weekend.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 1,000 people remain without power in Ohio County, according to Morrisey.
Wheeling Creek rose 7 feet in under two hours, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Several cars that were swept into the creek were removed by crane Monday.
Morrisey said the state's Department of Natural Resources performed about 20 water rescues.
Because of the damage to infrastructure, like roads and bridges, emergency crews were unable to immediately respond to some incidents.
On Sunday afternoon, an apartment building partially collapsed after a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the community of Fairmont, West Virginia, in Marion County, some 90 miles southeast of Wheeling.
No injuries have been reported as a result of the collapse. Morrisey said 61 people who were living there have been displaced.
The NWS said between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had fallen in a short time.
The governor said there were reports of a lot of water both on the roof and the first floor of the building. A investigation into the collapse is ongoing.
A witness impacted by the flooding said in a social media post that water began pouring through the windows of the building's first floor before it collapsed.
There were 20 water rescues in Marion County, according to the governor.
Morrisey said FEMA is currently on the ground in West Virginia and encouraged people who have been impacted by the flooding to document their damage.
The FOX Forecast Center said more rain will continue to fall across the flooded area through midweek.
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