UPDATE: At Least Six Dead, Two Missing From Wheeling Area After Flash Flood Saturday Night 

Updated Monday, June 16 at 11:05 a.m.

Update: The office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey has confirmed to WVPB that a sixth death has been confirmed in Ohio County in connection with Saturday’s flash flooding. Two individuals remain unaccounted for and considered missing.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for Ohio County Sunday morning after the region received three inches of rain or more in just 30 minutes the night prior.

He declared another state of emergency for Marion County Sunday evening after flash flooding in the area of Fairmont caused the partial collapse of an apartment building.

Rushing floodwaters picked up vehicles and washed out more than a dozen roads, bridges and highways upstream of the city of Wheeling, but there was damage in the city too. Morrisey said at least 19 successful swift water rescues had been conducted during the flooding.

Lou Vargo, emergency management director for Wheeling and Ohio County said the speed of the flood and the impact to local infrastructure severely limited emergency response.

“There was people in trees,” he said. “We had a trailer on fire [where] the road on both sides of that was given out. We couldn’t really get a response to it until some of that fire water receded because the roads were out.”

Vargo said in his 35 years of experience, he had never seen anything akin to Saturday’s flooding in speed or scope. However, he also noted that the intense rain that led to the flooding seemed to be very isolated. 

“(Wheeling Fire) Chief Blazier was saying he just had a sprinkle at his home. If you talk to people in Belmont County (Ohio), Marshall County, they really didn’t have anything,” Vargo said. “This cell formed, and it just stopped over Wheeling and Ohio County. It’s Mother Nature. You can’t predict it. We knew there’s a chance of a flash flood, but everything looked good, but you could just see it coming and it hit.”

Vargo also said some 4,000 people without power in the region would have to wait until gas lines could be secured before having their electricity restored.

“You have to understand, there’s been a lot of natural gas leaks. The electric company was not going to turn on that power until we could get all those gas leaks,” Vargo said. “Some of those houses may be [in] an explosive situation. Turning on that power could cause an explosion. So the power company and the gas company are working very closely together to coordinate everything.”

He asked residents to submit formal damage declarations and complete a weather damage survey to assist in securing a federal disaster declaration. If approved by President Donald Trump, it would be the second disaster declaration for West Virginia this year after three people died in flooding in the southern region in February.

Morrisey announced the West Virginia National Guard was mobilized to clear debris, reopen access routes and support clinical infrastructure.

“We know that the National Guard aviation assets remain on standby to conduct search and rescue missions for individuals,” he said. “As we learn more about that and the success or not of those missions, we will let you know. We want to do everything and focus on life saving support at this moment, and I want to make sure we put all of our resources into doing that.”

Morrisey said Sunday night the focus remained on search and rescue, and assessing the full damage would begin Monday. Those interested in donating or volunteering are encouraged to call 304-234-7109. 

The water system in the village of Valley Grove, a community of fewer than 300 people east of Wheeling, was inoperable due to flood damage.

“I’m told that there is distribution of water and supplies at the local fire department on Route 40,” he said. “If you need help, know that there are places for you to go. We know that water, generators and supplies, they’re on the way.”

More heavy rains are forecasted for the area through Sunday evening, renewing concerns for further flooding.

**Editor’s note: This story was updated to include the confirmation of a sixth death from the flood Monday morning.