MARLINTON, W.Va. — Towns in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties are recovering from some of the worst flooding in the state this weekend.
High water was reported Monday morning in Marlinton in Pocahontas County and Alderson in Greenbrier County.
Both towns sit along the Greenbrier River.
Residents had to be evacuated in Marlinton, mainly near the Knapp Creek area.
School officials at Marlinton Middle School said the American Red Cross was called in Monday. The school is currently being used as an emergency shelter.
The Greenbrier River was expected to crest at Marlinton at nearly 12 feet before falling below flood stage.
Alderson Mayor Travis Copenhaver told MetroNews Monday afternoon that water levels on the river were at around 12.3 feet.
“We have a small creek on the Monroe (County) side that can’t handle the flow that comes off the mountain and it backs up around homes, but there’s no major flooding,” he said.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for Alderson. The warning is expected to continue into early Tuesday.
Students and staff at Alderson Elementary School were dismissed early on Monday.
“The elementary school let kids go early so that they could get to the place where east of here, Fort Springs, has water across the road,” Copenhaver said.
Copenhaver said they are preparing for additional flooding. He said they will be posting updates on Facebook.
“The river starts to get full and we could potentially see a few more feet of water come up. People start to get nervous, but the town’s Facebook page is the quickest way to go to see what we got,” he said.