3-year-old among 4 dead in West Virginia flash flooding, more missing as flooding expands to mid-Atlantic

Several people dead, missing in West Virginia flash flooding

At least three people are dead, and several are missing after dangerous flash flooding was reported in parts of West Virginia overnight. Director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Lou Vargo joined FOX Weather with the latest information on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

WHEELING, W.Va. – At least four people have been killed and others remain missing after dangerous flash flooding impacted Wheeling and surrounding communities in West Virginia this weekend.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey provided a somber update on Facebook Sunday afternoon when he announced the deaths due to the flooding event that took place.

Morrisey said at least four people died during the flooding, including a 3-year-old child. 

"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," Morrisey said as he commended the first responders attempting to reach people in the flooding. 

He said four people remain missing. First responders continue to look for the missing, and officials are urging people to stay off the roads. 

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Lou Vargo, the director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency, told FOX Weather that as soon as the rain began on Saturday, 911 calls requesting help were received, and some people were forced to cling to trees to not be carried away by the fast-moving floodwaters.

Numerous Flash Flood Warnings and a rare Flash Flood Emergency were issued by the National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh late Saturday night and early Sunday morning as the rain was falling, overwhelming rivers and streams and sending water rushing into communities.

In addition, Vargo said drones and cadaver dogs are searching for those who are missing.

"We’re also working with family members to see if they just were displaced," Vargo said. "We also have a mass-care center set up for the people that we’ve evacuated from parts of the Valley Grove and Tridelphia area."

Because of the damage to infrastructure, like roads and bridges, emergency crews were unable to respond to some incidents.

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Watch: Floodwaters sweep into Wheeling, West Virginia

A video shared by the fire department in Wheeling, West Virginia, shows mud and debris in flood waters on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

"We were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage," Vargo said at a news conference.

Residents have also been asked to stay out of the area for safety and to allow first responders to continue their heroic work searching for victims.

"We just plead for you to stay away from that area and let the first responders and the Department of Highways and all the services out there do our jobs so we can get citizens back into their homes as quickly as possible."

Thousands of power outages have also been reported, but work to restore service cannot begin until natural gas leaks reported in the area have been resolved.

"Some of those houses could be in an explosive situation, so turning the power on could cause an explosion," Vargo continued. "So, the power company and the gas company are working very closely together to coordinate everything."

Flash flooding, severe storm threats expand to mid-Atlantic on Father's Day

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As recovery and cleanup begin in West Virginia, millions of people in the mid-Atlantic are now on alert for the possibility of flash flooding and severe weather on Father’s Day.

On Sunday afternoon, several Flash Flood Warnings were issued for parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the community of Fairmont, West Virginia, after the National Weather Service said between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had fallen in a short time. Multiple water rescues were reported by local law enforcement in Fairmont, and water had reportedly entered buildings. 

"This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!" the NWS said.

The FOX Forecast Center said that a zone of increased moisture is expected to set up across the region on Sunday, leading to widespread precipitation.

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A slow-moving cold front will also drift to the south, focusing the heaviest rainfall south of the Interstate 64 corridor from West Virginia to Virginia, as well as along the Virginia-North Carolina border, where 1-3 inches of rain is possible with locally higher amounts.

The greatest risk of flash flooding will be found across West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, with portions of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina placed in a Level 3 out of 4 flood threat by NOAA's Weather Prediction Center.

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Severe weather is also possible, and NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center placed that part of the mid-Atlantic in a Level 1 threat on its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale.

This risk zone includes cities such as Raleigh and Fayetteville in North Carolina and Richmond and Norfolk in Virginia.