Govind Tekale
A sudden deluge of rain Saturday night triggered catastrophic flash flooding in northern West Virginia, killing at least five people, including a 3-year-old child. Emergency crews are still searching for three missing people as communities begin the difficult task of recovery.
Between 2.5 and 4 inches of rain fell in just 30 minutes Saturday evening, overwhelming waterways in Wheeling and surrounding areas like Triadelphia and Valley Grove. The rapid rainfall caused Wheeling Creek to rise dramatically, surging from 3 feet at 8:45 p.m. to approximately 10 feet by 10:15 p.m.
“It happened so quickly and so fast,” said Lou Vargo, Ohio County’s Emergency Management Director. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The flooding caught many residents by surprise. Julie Ann Davis, an Elm Grove business owner, described the sudden devastation: “It rained for about a half hour and the next thing we know all of the creeks are out of their beds and things were floating down the creeks and people were terrified.”
Emergency calls began pouring in immediately as the waters rose. One woman reportedly had to flee her home with her four children, running “in the dark up the hillside to higher ground” to escape the rapidly rising water.
Some residents were forced to cling to trees to avoid being swept away by the powerful currents. Officials report that over 40 water rescues have been performed since the flooding began.
The floodwaters caused severe damage to infrastructure throughout the region. Roads and bridges were washed out, hampering emergency response efforts. A local fire department building was destroyed, and a church was twisted off its foundation. Numerous homes were swept off their foundations, and about two dozen vehicles were washed into Big Wheeling Creek.
“We had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, and highways where we couldn’t respond to a lot of incidents,” Vargo explained. “We were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage.”
Approximately 2,500 power outages were reported in Ohio County as of Sunday afternoon. Restoration efforts have been complicated by natural gas leaks that must be addressed before power can be safely restored.
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On Sunday afternoon, the disaster spread to Fairmont in Marion County, about 90 miles southeast of Wheeling, where heavy rainfall caused an apartment building to partially collapse. Governor Patrick Morrisey quickly extended the state of emergency to include Marion County.
Morrisey described the flooding as a “unicorn event” due to the intensity and speed of the rainfall. “There were roughly 3 to 4 inches of water that fell in the area in less than an hour. That’s very, very difficult to deal with,” he said.
The governor has mobilized the National Guard to support emergency operations and urged residents to stay off roads. “Do not underestimate the strength and speed of these floods,” Morrisey warned.
Search and rescue operations resumed Monday morning. Jim Blazier, Wheeling Fire Chief, said crews are using “drones, search dogs and swift water personnel” to search designated sectors, focusing particularly along Big Wheeling Creek. Emergency teams are checking submerged vehicles and debris piles for victims.
Philip Stahl, Wheeling Fire Department Public Information Officer, described the scene from the Washington Avenue Bridge: “The bridge was shaking, the water was rising and I saw a debris field like I’ve never seen before.”
Weather forecasts indicate that the danger is not over. The National Weather Service has maintained a flood watch for the region, with locally heavy rainfall expected to continue Monday and Tuesday. Strong to severe storms are possible through Thursday, with drier conditions finally expected by Friday.
Community response has been swift, with volunteers turning out in large numbers to begin cleanup efforts. Two distribution centers have been established for those in need of supplies:
- 25 Armory Drive in Wheeling (rear entrance)
- Guntry at 45 Caliber Drive in The Highlands, Triadelphia
An emergency shelter has been set up at Elm Grove Elementary in Wheeling for displaced residents. Officials are also making tetanus shots available to those involved in cleanup efforts.
Needed items include squeegees, baby wipes, and gallon jugs of water. Despite the devastation, volunteer Bree Dietrich noted the community’s resilience: “We’re the friendlier city and it shows. There’s something that happened in our town and there’s a lot of hate but today those same people were all together and that’s what it’s about.”
