West Virginia under state of emergency; flood waters force students to spend night at school

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
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Flood warnings continued Friday in several counties in southern and central West Virginia following a storm the day before that prompted Gov. Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency.

"Creeks and streams have spilled over and roads are closed in numerous counties due to high water and mudslides," the governor's office announced in a press release.

Thunderstorms with heavy rains and strong winds hit the majority of the state Thursday night and into Friday, the National Weather Service reported.

"Be prepared for flooding across roadways this morning. Do not drive through flood waters. Turn around, don't drown," the weather service in Charleston said on Twitter early Friday.

The state of emergency is in effect for 30 days in all 55 counties in the Mountain State, unless terminated by subsequent proclamation.

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As flood warnings continued Friday in several counties in southern and central West Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency after storms rolled through one day earlier.
As flood warnings continued Friday in several counties in southern and central West Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency after storms rolled through one day earlier.

Floodwaters force some students to spend the night at school

Rainfall was so heavy that some students were forced to spend Thursday night at their high school after floodwaters prevented buses from taking them home.

Classes were called off in Lincoln County and at least eight other counties Friday after storms dumped nearly 3 inches of rain in some places. In Kanawha County, the state’s largest, school bus routes were changed or closed because of flooded roads Friday.

School officials in Lincoln County, just east of the West Virginia and Kentucky state line, notified parents about the unusual step Thursday night.

“At this point, students are resting and tucked in for the night,” the school district said in a notice posted on its Facebook page and county school district website shortly before midnight.

The school district planned to feed students breakfast before taking them home. Initially, schools were dismissed two hours early Thursday due to high water. But roads became impassable, forcing the students to remain in their building.

Contributing: Associated Press.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: West Virginia weather: Flooding continues amid state of emergency