Flooding results in high-water rescues, closed roads, record crest of the Bluestone
May 30—MONTCALM — Heavy rainfall in the region on Memorial Day morning resulted in several high-water rescues from flash flooding, as well as roads closed and a record crest of the Bluestone River.
Despite the overflowing rivers and creeks, county officials in Mercer, McDowell and Tazewell, Va., reported no injuries as of Monday afternoon.
Barry Brooks with Tazewell County, Va., Emergency Services, said Bluefield, Falls Mills and Pocahontas were the areas hardest hit by the rainfall.
Several people were evacuated from the Falls Mills area. "We had to evacuate two families — six people and eight pets," Brooks said.
"We were blessed to have no injuries or fatalities," he said.
An elderly couple in Oakvale had to be rescued by the Department of Natural Resources on Blake Hollow Road off Route 112, Keith Gunnoe, Mercer County Director of Emergency Services said. The rescue occurred between 11:30 a.m. and noon.
Gunnoe said there were also a few high-water rescues in Bluefield, but no injuries were reported.
McDowell County Sheriff James Muncy said Anawalt and Jenkinjones were the hardest hit areas in their region.
"And, of course, Coney Island," Muncy added.
In Mercer County most of the rain came in between 6 and 8 a.m., Gunnoe said.
"It was a flash flooding event," he said, with most of the flooding occurring in the Bluefield, Bluewell and Bramwell areas.
The high-water event in the City of Bluefield had receded as of 2:30 p.m., Gunnoe said, noting much of this flooding was due to stormwater.
"There is a high water in Rock and the Bluestone River is still rising," Gunnoe said Monday afternoon. "Montcalm is dealing with some flooding."
Lorton Lick Road was closed Monday afternoon due to a large tree that appeared to have been felled by saturated ground. The downed tree crossed both sides of the roadway and was tangled in a strand of power lines near the junction at Skating Rink Hollow.
The tree came down around 10:30 a.m., Ralph Muncey, with the Montcalm Volunteer Fire Department said. Muncey and other members of the fire department were maintaining traffic control at the scene.
The downed tree resulted in a loss of power to around 1,400 Appalachian Power customers.
"The tree fell on the line and broke one pole," Phil Moye, spokesman with APCO said. "It pulled lines down from five different poles."
Moye said restoration of power was expected by Monday night.
Rick and Elizabeth Anderson, of Mount Pilot, NC, along with their pet, a beagle/Jack Russell/mutt mix named "Dog," surveyed the tree damage from their RV located near Skating Rink Hollow.
Rick Anderson said he had taken off in his side-by-side earlier in the day to survey the water damage when he heard the loud crash of the falling tree. The result was his ATV on one side of the tree and his family at the RV on other side.
"We come here about every other weekend to ride the (ATV) trails," Rick Anderson said.
Despite the day's rainfall challenges, the Andersons said it would not deter them from enjoying the recreation in southern West Virginia.
"We still enjoy it," Elizabeth said, a smile on her face while cuddling Dog and watching the emergency responders.
"We'll be back next weekend," Rick added.
Vance Joyner, a meteorlogist with the National Weather Service Blacksburg,Va. said western Mercer County was the hardest hit by Monday's rainfall, as was Tazewell County in the vicinity of the two-state border.
The Bluestone River recorded a record crest of 10.94 feet around 12:15 p.m. Monday, Joyner said.
"That's almost 2 feet above the moderate flood stage of 9 feet, and 4 feet above the minor flood stage of 7 feet," Joyner said.
Joyner said most reported rainfall amounts in the area were between 4 and 5 inches.
By Monday afternoon, clear weather punctuated by light drizzles buoyed hopes of emergency personnel. "It's nothing like this morning," Gunnoe said. "Hopefully, this will allow the tributaries to start draining."
— Contact Samantha Perry at sperry@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
