State of emergency declared in five flooded counties
(The Center Square) – A state of emergency has been declared for West Virginia’s Kanawha, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay and Roane counties due to excessive rainfall throughout the weekend that continued into Monday.
Flooding has damaged roads, bridges and homes.
The 30-day emergency proclamation from Gov. Jim Justice means the state will have the West Virginia National Guard prepared to assist along with its All-Hazards swift water rescue team and aerial assets that include UH-72 Lakota and UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters.
The West Virginia Emergency Management Division will coordinate emergency procedures.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for those counties.
The Emergency Management Division and West Virginia Division of Highways are responding to this event, along with FEMA, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and local officials.
The West Virginia Division of Highways is working to clear culverts, clean up mudslides and assess damage from the rain. Mudslides closed both lanes of U.S. 60 in Belle and on the West Virginia Turnpike near Chelyan at mile marker 85.5 where the southbound right lane is closed.
