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

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 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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"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 continues on Father's Day

As recovery and cleanup began in parts of West Virginia, flash flooding and severe weather continued to be destructive 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. 

The governor confirmed the partial collapse of an apartment building in Fairmont when he announced an emergency declaration for Marion County on Sunday evening. 

"As flash floods continue throughout North Central West Virginia, emergency officials are on the scene in Marion County at a partial apartment collapse," Morrisey said. "State resources are being dispatched to the region immediately. Please — stay off the roads. Do not underestimate the strength and speed of these floods. Pray for our friends and neighbors during this challenging time for our state."

The FOX Forecast Center said more rain will continue to fall across the flooded area through midweek.

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.