Flooding, Power Outages Spread Across West Virginia as Storms Continue Into Monday
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Flooding, road closures and widespread power outages were impacting communities across West Virginia Sunday night as repeated rounds of heavy rain continued to move across the state.
The National Weather Service said additional showers and thunderstorms are expected through Monday, with flash flooding remaining the primary concern. A flood watch remains in effect into Monday morning for a large portion of the state.
The impacts Sunday stretched from North Central West Virginia into the Kanawha Valley and southern portions of the state.
In Kanawha County, flooding was reported around Paint Creek and Cabin Creek, where swift water rescue teams were deployed Sunday. Several residents requested assistance getting out of homes surrounded by rising water as flood conditions worsened in parts of the county.
North Central West Virginia also experienced another round of high water Sunday, including portions of Harrison and Doddridge counties.
WV 511 reported high water along WV 76 in Harrison County, including near Bailey Road and the 600 block of West Veterans Memorial Highway. A road slip was also reported along Everwood Road in Harrison County, while high water closed a portion of WV 18 in Doddridge County.
Road problems were even more widespread farther south.
In Fayette County, numerous roads were closed because of high water, including portions of WV 16, while another section of WV 16 near Cotton Hill Bridge was reported washed out. High water was also reported along Paint Creek and WV 61 near Cabin Creek in Kanawha County.
Additional high water and storm-related road problems were reported in several other counties across the state.
The storms were also causing significant power outages Sunday night.
Around 9:40 p.m., approximately 39,000 West Virginia electric customers were without power.
Kanawha County had the largest number of outages with nearly 17,000 customers without service. Marion County had more than 5,000 outages, while Putnam, Fayette, Wood, Preston, Monongalia and Braxton counties were each reporting more than 1,000 customers without power.
The numbers were continuing to change Sunday night as new outages were reported and utility crews worked to restore service.
The widespread impacts come less than a month after the July storms produced significant flash flooding across portions of West Virginia, including devastating flooding in Lewis and Upshur counties.
Sunday’s flooding is a separate weather event, but another period of repeated heavy rainfall has created problems across a wide section of West Virginia.
With additional storms possible through Monday, residents are being urged to continue monitoring local warnings and avoid flooded roads. Flash flooding can develop quickly, and motorists should never attempt to drive through high water.
