Patrick Morrisey, the West Virginia governor, said at least two people were unaccounted for in Upshur county, after torrential rain caused flash floods in parts of the state.
Speaking at a news conference, Morrisey said that during search-and-recovery operations state police found an overturned vehicle in Upshur county believed to be “connected to two individuals who were reported missing”.
“Because of dangerous conditions and a significant amount of debris surrounding the vehicle, responders have still be unable to safely access it,” he said, adding that the efforts were continuing.
Morrisey said: “Once responders are able to safely complete the operation, and there’s been formal identification, as well as notification of next of kin, we will release additional information. Our thoughts are obviously with the families who are going through a very, very difficult time.”
On Wednesday, Morrisey said West Virginia remained in a “phase of search and rescue” with teams working to “identify any individual who we might be able to save”.
“We are concerned about loss of life,” Morrisey said.
Earlier in the week Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties across West Virginia and issued a “state of preparedness” as severe weather approached, directing state agencies to stand ready to respond.
Initially, about 100 national guard members were deployed to the hardest-hit areas. Another 400 national guard members were then mobilized to support flood-response operations.
The governor’s office said on Tuesday “a series of storm systems” had “moved across the state” and produced “severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, torrential rainfall, mudslides and rapidly rising water in many communities”. The most significant impacts, the office said, were reported in Lewis, Pleasants and Upshur counties, where flooding and related damage had prompted emergency response efforts.
Morrisey on Thursday said “a lot of homes” were “destroyed” and businesses “harmed”, and said the state would ensure that “those damage assessments get reported”. He urged people to fill out an online form to report damage.
Images and videos shared online show vehicles submerged in parking lots, flooded homes and neighborhood streets transformed into waterways.
On Wednesday, Morrisey described the storms as “quite extraordinary” and said “we had a significant amount of rainfall occur within a very short period of time”.
In Upshur county, he said, about 4.5in (11cm) of rain fell in just 37 minutes. “When things like that happen, there’s no place for the water to go,” he said. “And so that’s one of the reasons why you see here in Upshur county that there’s still a fair amount of water covering parts of the city.”
The governor also said his office was aware that “there are still many people who are without power here in the mountain state” and said that “utility crews are working very very hard to get to all these places”.
As of Thursday morning, there were more than 6,000 residents in West Virginia without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
Morrisey said “[what] we’re hearing is that the main line of the severe weather has moved through” and warned: “The ground is still saturated and the rivers remain high, so we’re going to continue to consult with the National Weather Service and monitor all the conditions around the clock.”
He said: “This is a time for West Virginians to come together to do everything possible, not only to pray for all those who are affected, but we’re going to need a lot of help in the days and weeks ahead. Let’s help these communities rebuild.”
The West Virginia department of transportation said crews were out in “full force” working to “clear debris, remove downed trees and safely reopen roads”.
The National Weather Service in Charleston, West Virginia, said “quiet weather is expected through the end of the work week, with patchy dense fog possible each night”, but that “chances of showers and thunderstorms begin working back into the area over the weekend”.
