Latest news with #LouVargo
CBS News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
As flash floods in West Virginia kill at least 8, Gov. Morrisey aims to rally residents during clean-up
It's been a challenging and heartbreaking few days for West Virginians since deadly flooding devastated many communities. The death toll continues to rise, search and rescue operations are still underway, and clean-up efforts are far from over. "I do have some somber news to report. We now can clearly state that eight people are confirmed dead in Ohio County," said Gov. Patrick Morrisey. The grim update from Gov. Morrisey came several days after flash flooding destroyed homes and washed away roads in the Wheeling-Ohio County area. A man was found dead Wednesday morning in the Ohio River, bringing the death toll to eight. "We can't take that back, but we can honor their memory by coming together and doing everything we can to help the remaining people that might be out there, and help rebuild in Ohio County," Morrisey said. Crews didn't know the man who was found Wednesday was missing. They found him while looking for a woman who's still missing. "We have at least one unaccounted for, but we don't know whether there will be others. We're going to continue to look. That's the top priority right now," the governor said. "We retrieved a person this morning, and we all knew that even though we had eight, there might be people who were never witnessed and were in the water," said Lou Vargo, the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director. As much as four inches of rain fell in the northern panhandle within just 40 minutes Saturday night. Marion County was also hit hard by flooding. Governor Morrisey said everyone there is alive and accounted for. He said he's been in touch with the White House for assistance and will send damage surveys to FEMA once they're all submitted by flood victims. He and Vargo urged residents impacted by the floods to submit those surveys. "I know President Trump cares deeply about West Virginia, he really does, and so I'm going to make my best argument to him as to why Ohio County and West Virginia, and Marion County, all these areas deserve the help to get our citizens back on the right track," Morrisey said. Despite the tragedy and the long road ahead, West Virginians are strong, and they'll rebuild together. "One thing that's true about West Virginians: We're never, never going to give up," Gov. Morrisey said. "We're going to come back from this stronger than ever, and we're going to work together." "Volunteers are stepping up in a way that we haven't seen before. Everyone is reaching out to help their brothers and sisters in need. The coordination on the ground has been excellent," he added.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
'Never seen anything like this': Flash floods kill 5, leave 4 missing in West Virginia
'Never seen anything like this': Flash floods kill 5, leave 4 missing in West Virginia About 2-4 inches of rain fell within a matter of hours late Saturday, which quickly overwhelmed and flooded the Appalachian creeks and waterways. Show Caption Hide Caption Aftermath of catastrophic flooding in West Virginia An apartment building in Fairmont, West Virginia, partially collapsed following heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Flash flooding from torrential rains left five people dead and four others missing in West Virginia over the weekend. The Wheeling and nearby Triadelphia and Valley Grove areas were the most affected. Floodwaters came quickly Saturday night, June 14, stranding some cars and sending others careening down creeks, according to the Wheeling News-Register. The waters "pulled homes from their foundations and destroyed them. Massive pieces of debris − cars, large metal storage containers, refrigerators and more – crashed into bridges, forcing their closure until their structural integrity can be assessed," the newspaper reported. About 2 to 4 inches of rain fell within a matter of hours late Saturday, which quickly overwhelmed and flooded the nearby Appalachian creeks and waterways, reported. "Wheeling Creek rose from 3 feet at 8:45 p.m. to roughly 10 feet at 10:15," the website said. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in the affected areas on Sunday, June 15. The emergency declaration makes it possible for state resources, such as the West Virginia National Guard, to be used for flood-related assistance, the Wheeling News-Register said. 'Never seen anything like this' "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, June 15, the Associated Press reported. '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.' Hard hit Texas city: Devastating flash floods leave more than a dozen dead in San Antonio Apartment building partially collapses In the town of Fairmont in Marion County, an apartment building partially collapsed Sunday, June 15, following the heavy rainfall and flooding, said. Water poured out of the building over a mountain of debris that shut down Locust Avenue. No injuries were immediately reported and residents of the building were being provided emergency shelter, according to local reports. "The storm was part of a stalled frontal system that has been bringing heavy rain to the region for several days," digital meteorologist Sara Tonks said. View of significant flood damage on Locus Avenue in Fairmont, West Virginia from flash flooding. #wvwx Link to the video: — Dillon Gaudet (@GaudetWeather) June 15, 2025 Flood watch still in effect A flood watch is still in place for the area, and locally heavy rainfall was expected Monday, June 16, and Tuesday, June 17, the National Weather Service said. The highest flash flood risk on Monday lies near Kentucky, the Central Appalachians, Virginia and North Carolina on Monday. On Tuesday, the flash flood threat becomes more restricted in the Central Appalachians, the weather service said.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Devastating flash floods claim five lives in West Virginia
Devastating flash flooding in West Virginia has left at least five dead as rescue teams continue to search for survivors amid ruinous destruction. Around 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in half an hour on Saturday night in Wheeling, leading to flash floods that killed at least five people while emergency crews continue to search for three people reported missing. Of the victims, who have yet to be identified, officials said one was a three-year-old, The New York Times reported. '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.' Vehicles were swept into swollen creeks, authorities said, while some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire. Fairmont saw severe flooding on Sunday afternoon, including the destruction of an apartment building that partially collapsed causing the evacuation of residents, CBS News reported. One resident of the building, who's pet dog was killed in the destruction, said in a GoFundMe : 'In a matter of hours, [my mom] lost her pet, Darla, clothes, furniture, personal belongings, and even her vehicle. The place she called home is now unrecognizable.' Footage showed the destruction to the building, as rubble could be seen strewn across the ground and the interior exposed by the damage. It remains unclear how many were impacted by the destruction. Similarly, swift flash flooding arrived in Marion County, south of Wheeling and Ohio County, early Sunday afternoon, caused extensive damage to bridges, roads and some homes, the county's Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management said in a Facebook post. At least 165 calls to emergency services have been made for aid since the storms began. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Marion County Sunday evening. Jim Blazier, the fire chief in Wheeling in the state's northern panhandle, said crews performed rescue operations into Sunday's early morning hours. '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.' Around 2,500 power outages were reported in the county Sunday, Morrisey confirmed in a news release Sunday evening. He has declared a state of emergency in Ohio County and mobilized the National Guard to support emergency operations. 'In many respects, this is kind of a unicorn event, because a lot of the rain had very narrow areas and there were roughly 3 to 4 inches of water that fell in the area in less than an hour,' Morrisey said at a press conference earlier Sunday. 'That's very, very difficult to deal with.' He added, 'Your friends, your neighbors, your first responders and people in the community, they're out working very hard to find people. That's our No. 1 task right now, trying to identify anyone who may still be out there.' 'Please - stay off the roads,' Morrisey warned residents. 'Do not underestimate the strength and speed of these floods. Pray for our friends and neighbors during this challenging time for our state.'
NBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- NBC News
Flash flooding kills 5 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing people
Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed five people in northern West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for three other people who were missing Sunday as authorities assessed damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines and other infrastructure. Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches 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 swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire. Similarly, swift flash flooding arrived in Marion County, south of Wheeling and Ohio County, early Sunday afternoon, causing extensive damage to bridges, roads and some homes, the county's Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management said in a Facebook post. The county's 911 line has already processed at least 165 calls for service since the storms began. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Marion County Sunday evening. 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 2,500 reported power outages in the county Sunday, Morrisey confirmed in a news release Sunday evening, which updated the number of people confirmed dead to five, with three more missing. He has declared a state of emergency in Ohio County and mobilized the National Guard to support emergency operations. "In many respects, this is kind of a unicorn event, because a lot of the rain had very narrow areas and there were roughly 3 to 4 inches of water that fell in the area in less than an hour," Morrisey said at a press conference earlier Sunday. "That's very, very difficult to deal with." He added, "Your friends, your neighbors, your first responders and people in the community, they're out working very hard to find people. That's our No. 1 task right now, trying to identify anyone who may still be out there." The West Virginia rains followed heavy downpours in San Antonio on Thursday that killed 13 people. More than 7 inches 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.
Arab Times
5 days ago
- Climate
- Arab Times
Flash flooding kills 5 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing people
WASHINGTON, June 16, (AP): Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed five people in northern West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for three other people who were missing Sunday as authorities assessed 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 swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire. Similarly, swift flash flooding arrived in Marion County, south of Wheeling and Ohio County, early Sunday afternoon, causing extensive damage to bridges, roads and some homes, the county's Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management said in a Facebook post. The county's 911 line has already processed at least 165 calls for service since the storms began. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Marion County Sunday evening. 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.'
