Wyoming County hit with heavy rainfall

Feb. 17—Heavy rainfall brought water out of small streams and creeks across Wyoming County in the early hours of Friday.

Rising waters spilled into roads in flood-prone areas across the county, noted Tim Ellison, county Emergency Services director.

While some houses were isolated by water for a time, water did enter one home in Rock View as a result of a collapsed drain, Ellison said.

No other damaged homes or injuries had been reported to Emergency Services by Friday afternoon.

Two cars, in separate incidents, were caught in the water streaming across the road near Westside High School, but occupants were able to get out, he said.

The Oceana Volunteer Fire Department pulled one of the cars from the water. Occupants in the other car escaped by wading through waist-deep water, Ellison said.

Ellison patrolled the county throughout the night.

Wyoming County Sheriff's deputies were also out across the county, Sheriff Brad Ellison said.

After the rain stopped early Friday morning, waterways continued to rise for several hours.

Portions of the county remained under a flood warning until 5 p.m. Friday.

Two people, who decided to ride the mountainous backroads on a side-by-side despite the weather, were pulled into the water Friday morning, Ellison said. Another person with them saw the two floating in the raging water on the side-by-side and called Emergency Services.

The Mullens Fire Department and Tim Ellison, who is also a volunteer firefighter, conducted a search-and-rescue effort for nearly five hours in the isolated mountains before they were notified the couple had made it out of the water and were safely back at the location where they had been staying.

While the rain totals could be equal to that of the historic July 8, 2001, flood which devastated the county, the rainfall was spread over a longer period of time, officials noted.

Ellison said he will spend the weekend driving across the county, assessing damage.