Flooding devastates parts of West Virginia
Two men who were presumed dead when a camper was swept away in rushing waters during the West Virginia floods have been found alive, officials said Monday as the rain-soaked state braced for another round of heavy rains.
The discovery of the men lowers the death toll to 23, officials said. That number includes 20 bodies found and three people who are missing and presumed dead.
The National Weather Service warned downpours were possible Monday in many areas already ravaged by flooding, including Greenbrier, Kanawha and Nicholas counties.
“Everybody’s just keeping an eye on the sky” as search and rescue teams continue to check whether everyone is accounted for, Rock said. If the storms intensify, rescue crews may have to pull back.
Early indications are that hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed. The only county to give an updated number to state officials was Roane County, which reported 500 properties damaged. Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are taking stock of the disaster and National Guard crews were removing debris.
More than 400 people were staying in 17 shelters across the state, and many people were trying to come to grips with ruined property and where they’ll live next. Others formed armed patrols to protect what was left of their homes and possessions after reports of looting.
Authorities have yet to start sizing up the flood damage in West Virginia. But it is drawing comparisons to November 1985 floods that remain the state’s most expensive natural disaster with more than $570 million in damage. (AP)
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