CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Warmer temperatures caused melting snow to blend with heavy rain across West Virginia, subjecting low-lying areas to rising waters Wednesday.
“The National Guard has 12 teams out in Lewisburg, Logan, and Elkins waiting to see what areas are hardest hit,” said Chris Stadleman, Press Secretary of Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.
So far most of the big problems have been attributed to roads blocked and access to homes and communities cut off.
“We lost the Madison Creek causeway and that’s our biggest problem right now,” said Roger Bryant, Emergency Services Director in Logan County. “The only places I’m aware of where water is actually surrounding homes and has people potentially trapped is in the Curtis and Mt. Gay areas and we have eye on those.”
It was the same story in Wyoming County where tributaries of the Guyandotte River caused the biggest trouble.
“The main route between Pineville and Oceana, state Route 10, is completely impassable now,” said Dean Meadows, head of Emergency Services in Wyoming County.
Meadows worried the forecast is becoming more and more ominous there.
“I”m already having problems with mudslides,” he said. “Once this heavy, wet snow comes on these tree limbs, I’m looking at possible power outages and temperatures in the single digits. It’s a concern for us.”
The National Weather Service forecast didn’t help matters.
“Problems will probably get worse before they get better even on the small streams,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Ken Batty. “We did put out a river flood warning for the Tygart Valley River at Belington and Philippi.”
Batty said the heaviest rain from Tuesday night hit the mid-Ohio Valley and caused high water along Middle Island Creek in the Parkersburg area. There was one bright spot from Batty who said the warm air didn’t make it to the highest mountains around Pocahontas County and not much snow melted which could have caused flooding along the Greenbrier River. The rest of the state is still waiting to see what’s next.
“I think people are just going to have to keep in tune with their county officials and our website www.weather.gov,” he said. “I think eventually we’re going to be dealing with some dwellings along some of these rivers.”
Stadleman added the State Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management had established a social media page to help keep residents across the state up to date with the latest information, www.facebook.com/westvirginiathor
“That was something that came out of the after action report from the water emergency,” said Stadleman. “We’ll be posting updates and can respond to people if they have concerns.”