SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. — A deluge of rain from a Saturday evening thunderstorm turned Poplar Fork Creek in Putnam County into a raging river getting into homes and forcing water rescues.
Scott Depot area residents said the storm came quickly and the water rose higher than many had ever seen.
“It’s been in our backyard before but it’s never gotten into our house,” resident Rebecca Detillier, a 13-year resident of Poplar Fork Road said. “My first thought was, ‘I have to get my babies out of the house.”
Detillier, her three daughters and other family members were helped to higher ground.
Three men were hanging onto a tree when they were rescued by members of the St. Albans Water Rescue Squad and Teays Valley Volunteer Fire Department. They were in six feet of water. What appeared to be the oldest of the three was taken to a nearby hospital for hypothermia and exhaustion.
“We had flooding all throughout our primary response district,” Teays Valley VFD Chief John Smoot said. “It was just a tremendous downpour. From all the flooding we’ve seen it had to be a significant amount of water.”
A coal train traveling through the area was forced to stop when the tracks on both ends were washed out. The crew was able to separate the cars to get an ambulance into the area.
The National Weather Service extended a flash flood warning for parts of the Kanawha Valley until 11:45 p.m. Saturday.
The last time the area saw flooding was Christmas Day 2016. But that wasn’t as bad as Saturday evening, residents said.
“This is the first time it’s gotten into this house in the 30 years it’s been here,” Detillier said.
Another water rescue team from the Tornado-Lakewood VFD assisted.
Joe Stevens contributed to this story.