More than 40 people are unaccounted for and over 100 homes were damaged or destroyed Wednesday after extensive flooding in Virginia.
A state of emergency was declared Wednesday after heavy rain Tuesday caused flash flooding in Buchanan County in western Virginia, the state’s department of emergency services wrote in a press release. At least 44 people are unaccounted for in the Whitewood area, according to a statement released by Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
The rainfall also caused power outages, impacted roads and other forms of infrastructure, and presented the state with significant operational and resource issues, the emergency services press release continued. (RELATED: Hurricane Season Is Upon Us, And It’s Going To Be A Big One)
🚨#BREAKING: 40 people missing after significant flooding overnight in Virginia.
Right now emergency crews are searching for 40 people that are unaccounted for in Buchanan Virginia, after a severe storm struck the area, bringing heavy rain and flooding pic.twitter.com/7LMh714klI
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 13, 2022
No fatalities were confirmed by the Sheriff’s office in the statement. One person was killed in 2021 after less severe flooding hit a larger area of the state and washed away homes, officials said, according to the New York Post.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that another flood has impacted a community still recovering from last year’s flood,” Republican Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin said in the press release, “In the wake of the devastation, I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those impacted by this storm. As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations in Buchanan County. While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.”