At least 20 die in W.Va. floods; search continues

Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.VA.

As a deluge swamped southeast West Virginia – a disaster that killed at least 20 people – Ronnie Scott’s wife called him and told him their house was filling up with water. She fled to the attic with two dogs and a cat and waited. She smelled natural gas.

Then, the house blew up.

Belinda Scott was able to break a vent and get out onto a porch, then make it onto a tree, which she clung to for hours before being rescued by state police, Ronnie Scott told The Associated Press on Friday.

His wife was in the hospital with burns on 67 percent of her body. The pets did not make it out alive.

“My wife was out there 41/2 hours hanging in a tree with a house burning right beside her, flood waters running all around her,” said Scott, who was not at the White Sulphur Springs home when the waters rose.

Early reports indicate about 9 inches of rain damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands of others, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said.

About 500 people were stranded overnight in a shopping center when a bridge washed out, and dozens of other people had to be plucked off rooftops or rescued from their cars.

“Our focus remains on search and rescue,” the governor said. He added: “It’s been a long 24 hours and the next 24 hours may not be much easier.”

Greenbrier County Sheriff Jan Cahill described “complete chaos” in his county, one of the hardest hit.

“Roads destroyed, bridges out, homes burned down, washed off foundations,” he said. “Multiple sections of highway just missing. Pavement just peeled off like a banana. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

In the towns of Rainelle and White Sulphur Springs, rescue crews went door to door to check on residents, a painstaking task that could stretch into the weekend. Once a residence was checked, a red or orange “X” was marked on the home.

The state Division of Homeland Security reported 15 people killed in Greenbrier County, and rescue efforts continue.

Currently 200 National Guardsmen were assisting in eight counties, helping local crews with swift water rescues, search and extraction efforts and health and welfare checks.

The governor declared a state of emergency in 44 of 54 counties and authorized up to 500 soldiers to assist.

The governor said he had planned to fly around the hard-hit areas, but wasn’t able to because all state aircraft were being used for rescues.

An area near the West Virginia-Virginia line received at least 9 inches of rain while other parts of the state had 3 to 5 inches, National Weather Service hydrologist John Sikora said.

While most of the rain had tapered off Friday, there were still scattered showers, thunderstorms and river flood warnings.