Heavy thunderstorms and flooding in West Virginia caused the death of 23 people on Friday. A tragic scene of cars being swept away and homes being destroyed and a 4-year old toddler reportedly missing as he was swept away in a stream while playing in his backyard with his little sister, officials stated and an 8-year old boy was killed in the storm. At least 44 counties have declared a state of emergency.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has deployed 200 National Guard members to assist different counties and has the authorization to deploy 300 more to help with the rescue if needed, CNN reports. He states that “together with the National Guard, our first responders, local emergency management officials and firefighters from across the state have been working around the clock, and we are deeply appreciative of their efforts.”
The National Weather Service has reported that there is a 1 in 1,000 chance of this type of rain occurring any given year. The weather radar also states that over 10 inches of rain have fallen in parts of Greenbrier County, CNN reports.
Hundreds of people were also stranded in a shopping mall when an access road at Elkview Crossings Mall was washed out by the rain. The rain caused the road to the shopping plaza to collapse. The National Guard began to build a temporary bridge as part of a rescue mission for the people stranded at the mall.
The damage in the area is extensive, homes and cars flooded away and roads are completely destroyed. One witness stated that a house caught fire and was burning as it was flowing down the stream. ABC news reported a woman who broke out of her house once it caught on fire and climbed a tree which she clung on to for hours before being rescued by the state police. She survived with burns on 67 percent of her body.
