Flash flooding kills 3 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing people

Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed three people in northern West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for missing people Sunday, while authorities were assessing damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines and other infrastructure.

Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches (6 to 10 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about a half hour on Saturday night.

“We almost immediately started getting 911 calls for rescue of people being trapped,” Lou Vargo, Ohio County’s emergency management director, said at a news conference Sunday. “During this time we had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, and highways where we couldn’t respond to a lot of incidents. So we were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage.”

Vargo added: “It happened so quickly and so fast. … I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’ve seen major floods here in the city and the county. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Authorities said vehicles were swept into in swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire.

Jim Blazier, the fire chief in Wheeling in the state’s northern panhandle, said crews performed rescue operations into Sunday’s early morning hours. He said first responders regrouped Sunday morning and were focused on an area from the Ohio state line across the Ohio River to Wheeling Creek.

“We’re searching the banks, we’re searching submerged vehicles, any debris we find along the trail and so forth,” Blazier said. “We’re using drones, search dogs and swift water personnel, and we have teams organized that are searching sectors that we’re trying to recover anybody that’s missing.”

There were about 4,000 power outages in the county. Restoration efforts were hampered by natural gas leaks that have to be fixed first, officials said.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Ohio County. He said state police and other state officials were responding, and he directed the National Guard to provide any needed assistance.

“Please keep this community in your prayers,” Morrisey said in a statement Sunday. “More storms are expected in the region today. Please follow all directives from local and state emergency management officials and do not attempt to drive through flooded roads.”

The West Virginia rains followed heavy downpours in San Antonio on Thursday that killed 13 people. More than 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell over a span of hours in the Texas city, causing fast-rising floodwaters to carry more than a dozen cars into a creek.