TRIADELPHIA, West Virginia — Late last Saturday night, an unexpected torrent of rain devastated this community here and in Wheeling in West Virginia‘s Ohio County. It overwhelmed creeks, swept away homes and cars, submerged dozens of them, took the lives of eight people, including a three-year-old, and left a community grieving.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) said that upward of four inches of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about half an hour last Saturday evening, and one person remains missing.
Morrisey told the Washington Examiner in an interview that he was grateful for the first responders, local volunteer fire companies, and community members who have stepped up to help their community.
“The state has also been on the ground from the very beginning, having very good coordination with the local officials. That’s made a huge difference. Obviously, there’s a real unfortunate loss of life, eight that are officially dead from the floods, but another individual presumed missing, and we’re very concerned about that, given that it’s been several days,” he said.
Recovery efforts were everywhere over the weekend as first responders, community members, and volunteers from neighboring Pennsylvania and Ohio tried to return the region to some sense of normality after the devastating flooding.
All told, first responders conducted 19 water rescues.
Morrisey said he’s working closely with authorities from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has requested a Major Disaster Declaration and an Emergency Declaration from President Donald Trump for Ohio and Marion counties following severe flooding this week.
“We did that when it happened, and we made sure to get the word out about the emergency survey, the documents that people needed to fill out in order to verify the damage. That was really an important process to get this started,” he said, adding, “We are very hopeful that the folks that were really harmed in Ohio and Marion counties from this flood get the help they need.”
Temperatures in the high 90s made the efforts a challenge.
Morrisey said what has really been amazing to see is how many people have come together so quickly with the volunteer efforts, “From manning the food and the water stations, to getting people there to and to get help, to being able to put up people who were affected by the flood really shows how people can step up when the moment calls for it,” he said.
He pointed to Fairmont State for stepping up and immediately housing a dozen people whose apartment building had collapsed. “People in the community have come forward in such a significant way. And there are people within West Virginia, there are people from outside the state as well who have offered help, like Ohio and Pennsylvania,” said Morrisey.
In neighboring Pennsylvania’s Washington County, the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department is lending a helping hand to officials by recruiting volunteers and taking donations for the victims of the flooding in West Virginia. Over the weekend, the department reposted a message on Facebook posted by West Virginia officials looking for willing people to assist in clean-up efforts in the Valley Grove-Triadelphia areas.
Canonsburg VFD said in a post that West Virginia officials are asking for manpower and asked the local community to please share it with others who may be interested in helping.
Dangerous temperatures began rising Sunday as officials and volunteers worked to clean up the devastating damage. Those temperatures were set to stay in the high 90s throughout the week as the clean-up continues.
Morrisey said keeping everyone hydrated is the biggest concern as they dig through the wreckage.
The hardest part of the death toll was the loss of the 3-year-old girl, said Morrisey.
“I can tell you a story of how close-knit this community is. When I was coming back here on Wednesday, I stopped off to get a cup of coffee, and I ran into someone, and he said to me that how horrible it was that the 3-year-old had passed because she was such a good little girl,” he said.
WE CAN’T TRUST META TO PROTECT CHILDREN
“When you are from a community like this, people know each other. They know the 3-year-old, they know the moms, they know the families really well, and conversation happened at a general store a mile away from the flood. It just hits hard,” he said.
“It is going to take some time for people to get over the grief. These are things that will never be forgotten, but I’m hopeful that folks will remember the positive side of how humanity came together and really made a difference in helping brothers and sisters in need.”