Dozens killed by “century’s worst” floods in the United States

The rescue and recovery effort is likely to last through the weekend, said Tim Rock, spokesman for the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

A storm system dumped up to 10 inches (0.2m) of rain on parts of the state, causing rivers and streams to overflow.

The governor said 200 National Guard soldiers were carrying out search and rescue efforts as well as health and welfare checks in eight counties across the state.

The flooding also damaged homes throughout the state including carrying a burning home down Howard Creek in White Sulphur Springs near the southern part of the state. But local sheriffs and rescue workers across the state confirmed others not yet included in the state’s official tally.

The storms have claimed at least 15 lives in Greenbrier County, one of the hardest-hit counties.

Three more bodies were found in West Virginia’s devastating flood, bringing the death toll from the natural disaster to 26 as authorities continue to search for missing people.

“Unbelievable” was a word Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Justice couldn’t stop uttering as he described flood damage sustained in Greenbrier County, his resort property and all throughout the Mountain State.

As many of you know by now, our great state was devastated by frightful floods on Thursday.

Tomblin’s office said he made an expedited verbal request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for individual assistance for Kanawha, Greenbrier and Nicholas counties.

The flooding was even bad enough to shut down the training camp of the New Orleans Saints, which holds it summer practice sessions in West Virginia. “Travel throughout the county will be very risky today”, the statement said, warning drivers not to travel through high water.

The heaviest rainfall was in Greenbrier County.

The local Red Cross chapter in Bristol has not sent any resources to West Virginia yet. The Clendenin area was particularly hard-hit, with Jordan Creek flooding and destroying close to 50 homes. “It does not appear there are unaccounted for people in other counties, but it’s still a somewhat fluid situation”, said Chris Stadelman, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s chief of staff.

Capitol High School remains open as a shelter Saturday for those affected by severe flooding, officials say.

“I have five kids, three who are mine and two steps, and I just thought about them the whole time, that I had to get back to them”, Ms Lewis said.

Friday morning, as soon as the couple heard the water on the interstate was receding, they didn’t think twice before packing up their auto, “it was kind of like a mass exodus this morning”.

The newspaper said the boy was walking with his sister and mother in a foot of water in the creek when he slipped and was carried away by strong currents.

Chad Agner’s home is completely gone, swept away by raging flood waters Thursday night that tore through West Virginia seemingly out of nowhere.

About 500 people, including employees and customers, became got stuck inside the Crossings Mall in Elkview, about 12 miles from Charleston, around 4 p.m. Thursday, said Rick McElhaney, assistant deputy director with Metro 911 in Kanawha County.