Flash flooding from torrential rains has left six people dead and three others missing in West Virginia.
The Wheeling and nearby Triadelphia and Valley Grove areas were hit hardest. Floodwaters came quickly 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.
Two to 4 inches of rain fell within a matter of hours late June 14, which overwhelmed and flooded the nearby Appalachian creeks and waterways, Weather.com 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 on 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.
