Flash flooding caused by torrential rain killed six people, including a 3-year-old child, in northern West Virginia on Sunday, and rescue crews resumed their search Monday morning for three others who remain missing.
The Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency confirmed the sixth death Monday. According to the National Weather Service, a flood watch remains in effect through the evening as heavy rainfall is expected to continue throughout the day.
Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about half an hour Saturday night.
"We almost immediately started getting 911 calls for rescue of people being trapped," Lou Vargo, Ohio County's emergency management director, said at a news conference Sunday. "During this time, we had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges and highways where we couldn't respond to a lot of incidents. So we were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage."
Vargo added: "It happened so quickly and so fast. … I've been doing this for 35 years. I've seen major floods here in the city and the county. I've never seen anything like this."
Authorities said vehicles were swept into swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees, and a mobile home caught fire.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Marion County on Sunday evening after swift flash flooding caused extensive damage and resulted in at least 165 calls to the county's 911 line.
Emergency crews responded to the partial collapse of the Fairmont Village Apartment building Sunday evening, Morrisey confirmed on Facebook. No one was transported for injuries, and multiple cars were totaled, according to NBC affiliate WBOY of Morgantown.
The official cause of the collapse has not been identified; WBOY reported that it is believed to have been caused by the flooding.
Jim Blazier, the fire chief in Wheeling, in the state's northern panhandle, said crews performed rescue operations into early Sunday. He said first responders regrouped Sunday morning and were focused on an area from the Ohio line across the Ohio River to Wheeling Creek.
"We're searching the banks, we're searching submerged vehicles, any debris we find along the trail and so forth," Blazier said. "We're using drones, search dogs and swift water personnel, and we have teams organized that are searching sectors that we're trying to recover anybody that's missing."
Morrisey confirmed in a news release Sunday evening that about 2,500 power outages were reported in the county. He has declared a state of emergency in Ohio County and mobilized the National Guard to support emergency operations.
The Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency said various supplies, such as water, non-perishable food, paper products and clothes, will be available for people affected by the flooding at two locations beginning at 10 a.m. Monday: 25 Armory Drive in Wheeling and G45 Caliber Drive in Triadelphia.
