Wednesday, December 15, 2021
A state of emergency covers all 55 West Virginia counties after up to five inches of rain in six hours sent creeks to record crests and forced water rescues.
West Virginia is under a statewide emergency after a week of severe storms turned creeks into torrents. Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a State of Emergency for all 55 counties on July 21 as flash flooding tore through the center of the state, hitting Upshur County and the area around Buckhannon hardest. At least two people have died as of July 22, a toll officials cautioned could rise as crews reach cut-off areas.
The numbers behind it are stark. Up to five inches of rain fell in less than six hours on July 21, and the Sand Run gauge near Buckhannon crested at 10.6 feet. That was the first time in roughly 80 years of records that it reached major flood stage. Flash Flood Warnings covered 15 counties at the peak, from Barbour and Randolph to Kanawha, and rescue teams spent the night pulling stranded residents from homes and vehicles. The state has asked for a federal Major Disaster Declaration to unlock individual assistance.
Flooding is the deadliest weather most households will ever face. It rises faster than people expect. Six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet. A foot of it can float a car. That is why the rule for a covered road stays simple: turn around instead of driving through it. The habits that matter are worth setting before the water comes up, and preparing your home for a flood starts with knowing whether you sit on a floodplain and where your high ground is.
When water is already rising, a few steps buy time. Move what you can to a higher floor, cut power to rooms that may flood, and keep drinking water set aside, because a boil-water notice often follows a flood once the system is compromised. Households on rivers and low ground can blunt the first surge with sandbags placed before the crest rather than during it.
Where it stands now, the rain has moved on, but the danger has not. Swollen rivers can crest days after the last storm. If you live downstream of this system, keep a way to receive warnings that does not depend on the power staying on, and decide your leave-early trigger before the next round.
