23 Killed In West Virginia Flooding
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (KDKA/AP) - The death toll from the floods that ravaged West Virginia has risen to 23, and officials fear the number will continue to climb.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said early reports indicates more than 100 homes have been seriously damaged or destroyed and about 66,000 homes and businesses are still without power.
A storm system dumped 9 inches of rain on parts of West Virginia and trapped 500 people in a shopping center when a bridge washed out.
Dozens of other people had to be plucked off rooftops or rescued as waters quickly rose during the deluge.
Chris Stadelman, who's Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's communications director, says some areas are "probably looking at flooding that's going to be the worst in 100 years."
Late Friday night, the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said 23 deaths have been confirmed in flooding in the state.
In White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, flooding swept a home down Howards Creek. The home caught on fire and crashed into a bridge.
At least four fatalities were reported after storms rolled into West Virginia early Thursday and continued throughout the day leaving thousands without power and several roads impassable.
Stadelman said Friday morning that three people died in Kanawha County and a fourth died in Wheeling.
According to WTRF-TV, an 8-year-old boy died after he was swept away by swift water. The child has since been identified as Emmanuel Williams.
Stadelman said the numbers don't include a young boy who crews have been looking for after he was swept away by swift water Thursday in Jackson County.
Some of the hardest hit counties included Greenbrier, Nicholas, Fayette, Kanawha and Webster.
The Brother's Brother Foundation in Pittsburgh is helping the flooding victims. They are sending three tractor trailers full of bottled water to Beckeley, West Virginia, in the next few days. The National Guard will distribute the water to people in the hardest hit areas.
If you would like to help the flood victims, donations can be made by visiting the Brother's Brother Foundation's website here, or by calling 412-321-3160.
Checks can be made out to the Brother's Brother Foundation and sent to:
Brother's Brother Foundation/U.S. Disasters
1200 Galveston Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
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