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Storms leave behind major flooding at Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Greenbrier Resort Owner Jim Justice says “never in his life” has he seen the facility and White Sulphur Springs under as much water as Thursday’s storm left behind.

“We’ve got houses washed away, people trapped in automobiles and people trying to swim to get out of harm’s way,” Justice said on Thursday’s MetroNews “Sportsline.” “It’s really, really, really bad.”

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin issued a State of Emergency Thursday night in 44 out of West Virginia’s 55 counties, all but the Northern and Eastern Panhandle counties, in response to the flooding.

At the resort, Justice said minor flooding was reported in the casino. He said the vast majority of all sporting facilities were underwater.

Justice said his focus is on the people of Greenbrier County, not anything else having to do with sporting events.

“The last thing we really need to be worried about right now is the golf course or the Greenbrier Classic,” he said. “What we need to be worried about is the people’s lives and their homes and their belongings.”

Justice referred to the flooding as a “raging river” coming down Route 60 in White Sulphur Springs. He said he did not hear of any injuries in the area.

As of Thursday night, Justice said his biggest concern was that the storm was “not over” yet.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said the rain would taper off between 9 p.m. Thursday and 12 a.m. Friday.