Deadly Flash Flooding Devastates North-Central West Virginia After Torrential Rain Swamps Homes, Roads and Businesses

Deadly flooding leaves north-central West Virginia under emergency response

Two people are dead after severe flooding struck north-central West Virginia, according to the office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

The flooding began after heavy rain Tuesday night, with more than 5 inches falling in only a few hours in some areas. In parts of Upshur County, WV, storms dropped more than 5 inches in about six hours, while the highest recorded amount was 7.6 inches just south of Buckhannon, WV.

Water rushed into homes, businesses, vehicles and roads. Bridges were washed out. Streets became impassable. Search and rescue teams moved through several communities, including with support from the National Guard.

The rain came fast.

About 1,000 homes and businesses damaged

About 1,000 homes and businesses have been damaged by the flooding, Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, the West Virginia National Guard adjutant general, said Thursday.

The hardest-hit areas included Upshur, Lewis and Pleasants counties, where flooding triggered emergency response efforts and dozens of water rescues, according to the governor’s office. Roughly 47,000 people live in those three counties, based on U.S. Census estimates.

Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties in West Virginia on Tuesday night as floodwaters spread and travel became hazardous.

National Guard deployed as rescues continued

Morrisey initially sent 100 National Guard members to the hardest-hit areas in the northern part of the state. An additional 200 National Guard members were expected by late Wednesday morning.

By later in the week, Seward said more than 500 troops had been deployed across the region because of the floods.

More than 100 rescues had been made, and more than a dozen helicopters were on standby, Morrisey said Wednesday.

By Thursday, the National Guard was shifting from rescue work toward the next phase of response, including bringing in equipment for debris removal over the following days.

Two missing people believed to be in overturned vehicle

Two people had been reported missing and were believed to be in an overturned vehicle found by State Police in Upshur County, WV, the governor said.

It was not immediately clear whether they were the same two people confirmed dead.

Police and National Guard members had not been able to reach the vehicle by Thursday morning because of dangerous conditions and the amount of debris surrounding it.

Search and recovery efforts, which were widespread Tuesday and Wednesday, had become limited to one area by Thursday, Morrisey said.

Flash flood emergency warned of life-threatening conditions

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, the highest level of flood warning, and described the event as a “particularly dangerous situation."

The National Weather Service in Charleston, WV, warned of life-threatening flooding in some communities Tuesday night, telling people to “SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!"

The warnings reflected the speed of the rising water. Floodwaters cut off access in some locations, leaving rescuers unable to reach certain areas.

Emergency service communication channels were active late Tuesday night in Lewis and Upshur counties, where first responders carried out water rescues for hours into Wednesday.

Buckhannon cut off by washed-out roads

Washed-out roads and impassable streets cut off parts of Buckhannon, WV, on Tuesday and Wednesday, making the full extent of the damage difficult to assess, the city said in a Facebook post Wednesday morning.

Buckhannon is a town of just over 5,000 residents, about 85 miles northeast of the state capital, Charleston, WV.

Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner described the scene at a Wednesday news conference.

Robbie Skinner: “This is heartbreaking, this is not something you want to see in your hometown."

Floodwater rose around homes, vehicles and streets

Jonny Reed rushed out of his house in Buckhannon, WV, with his young son Tuesday evening as floodwaters rose.

One minute after he left his porch, home surveillance video showed a storage shed floating by. A felled tree came next. Then an upright all-terrain vehicle appeared in the current, looking as though it was driving itself as the water dragged it along.

Reed described how fast the water moved.

Jonny Reed: “I’ve never seen the water rise as fast."

The current carried debris through the neighborhood. What had been streets and yards became channels for floodwater.

Weston inundated by swollen river and creek

In Weston, WV, in neighboring Lewis County, a swollen river and creek spilled brown water across streets and parking lots Wednesday.

Aerial video from the West Virginia National Guard showed water reaching the doors of homes and buildings in some places. Mud and debris were left behind as the water moved through.

A Walmart in Weston, WV, was flooded during the storm, along with its parking lot. Photos showed muddy water surging far into the store.

Walmart said worker and customer safety was its “top priority" in a statement.

Walmart: “We’re heartbroken by the devastation in West Virginia."

Hotel guests waited as floodwater covered the first floor

In Weston, WV, Bob Pfister said the power remained on at the hotel where he was staying, even though the first floor was inundated.

Most people planned to stay where they were until Wednesday morning.

Bob Pfister: “Right now this option is much better than a shelter and a life boat."

Bob Pfister: “If the power goes out that may change a whole lot!"

The quote captured the hard choices people faced as water surrounded buildings and travel became unsafe.

Local officials describe extensive damage

Lewis County Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen said first responders were performing water rescues for hours from Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Agnes Quinn Queen: “The devastation across our county is extensive."

The flood damage extended beyond homes and streets. In Fayetteville, WV, in southern West Virginia, a sinkhole caused by the storm swallowed a vehicle at a bar Tuesday night.

Floodwaters also forced closures on major routes, including portions of Interstate 79, U.S. Route 48 and numerous secondary roads.

Storms also brought tornado and wind damage reports

The heavy rain was part of a wider storm system that also produced reports of tornadoes and damaging winds from Kentucky to New Jersey and toward the New York, NY, suburbs.

Damage from a possible tornado was reported in the area of St. Marys, WV, and Belmont, WV.

Other warnings were also issued for parts of neighboring Virginia after flash flood warnings in West Virginia expired by Wednesday morning.

Rivers fell after historic levels

By Thursday, Morrisey said more roads had reopened and many thousands of West Virginians had power restored.

He also said the weather had helped crews continue the response.

Patrick Morrisey: “We know that this entire cleanup and recovery effort can take some time, but we are encouraged to see that the weather has held."

Patrick Morrisey: “The rivers … have continued to fall after some historic levels were reached."

Data from a U.S. Geological Survey water gauge showed Sand Run, a creek tributary near Buckhannon, WV, rose to a record level. It topped the mark set during the November 1985 flood event, which resulted in 47 deaths statewide.

Ground was already saturated before Tuesday’s storms

The flooding was worsened by wet ground already in place before the heaviest rain arrived.

Morrisey urged residents to stay home Tuesday night, saying travel conditions remained hazardous. The ground had already been saturated after storms dropped more than 2 inches of rain across the state on Saturday.

Then came Tuesday’s downpours.

When several inches of rain fall on soil that is already wet, runoff increases quickly. Creeks rise faster. Roads flood sooner. Low-lying areas can become dangerous in minutes.

Cleanup begins with volunteers and aid groups

As rescue operations shifted into recovery, volunteers and aid groups began helping with cleanup and support.

Morrisey said people were arriving to start the muck-out process, deliver meals, distribute cleanup kits and coordinate donations from more than 80 different organizations.

Patrick Morrisey: “Obviously, right now a lot of people, a lot of volunteers are coming, beginning the muck-up process, the muck-out teams, delivering meals, distributing cleanup kits and coordinating donations from over 80 different organizations."

The cleanup effort is expected to be important in the days and weeks ahead as communities deal with mud, debris, damaged structures and washed-out roads.

Main impacts from the flooding

• 2 deaths confirmed after Tuesday’s flooding in north-central West Virginia.
• About 1,000 homes and businesses damaged by floodwater.
• More than 5 inches of rain fell in a few hours in some areas.
• 7.6 inches recorded just south of Buckhannon, WV.
• More than 100 rescues
  Updated: Jul 24, 2026
  Published by: Weather U.S. | About Us