A road is washed out in the Harman area of Randolph County, W.V., Sunday, June 30, 2019. Severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding that knocked homes off their foundations and washed out roads in several mountainous counties of West Virginia, and some state lawmakers asked Gov. Jim Justice on Sunday to declare a state of emergency. (Destiny Judy/Daily Inter-Mountain via AP)
Republished June 30, 2019 - 4:51 PM
Original Publication Date June 30, 2019 - 1:36 PM
ELKINS, W.Va. - Severe weekend thunderstorms caused flash flooding that knocked homes off their foundations and washed out roads in several mountainous counties of West Virginia, prompting Gov. Jim Justice to announce plans Sunday to declare a state of emergency in the region.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for portions of northern and eastern West Virginia after several inches of rain fell rapidly on Saturday night. High water and mudslides forces several roads to be closed, including four-lane U.S. Route 33.
There were no immediate reports of any deaths or injuries.
In a letter Sunday afternoon, state senators and delegates representing Pendleton, Preston, Randolph and Tucker counties asked the governor to respond quickly so state resources could quickly reach the flood-hit areas.
Justice, after being briefed Sunday on the extent of the flooding, said in a news release that he would make an emergency declaration official on Monday.
The statement said the governor also authorized the state Department of Homeland Security and the West Virginia emergency management director to speed state resources to those in need. The West Virginia National Guard also was called to assist flood victims and the state's emergency operations centre was activated.
According to The Inter-Mountain of Elkins, the Randolph County Commission said in a statement that the flooding knocked homes off their foundations in the Harman, Job and Whitmer area of the state. It added that volunteer fire departments and swift boat rescue crews were sent to assist residents.
"Please keep the people of this area in your thoughts and prayers," the statement said.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019