MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — High water has receded after a wet weekend in the Eastern Panhandle.
Authorities tell MetroNews affiliate WEPM while some roads were flooded and low-lying bridges were shut down temporarily, little damage was reported.
In Jefferson County, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park closed its popular footbridge leading from the lower town into Washington County, Maryland as water reached from the Potomac River was at 18.81 feet above flood stage Sunday.
Please note: the footbridge over the Potomac River reopened this morning. Be aware that the @COcanalNPS towpath is a bit rough directly across from Harpers Ferry.
Also, the restrooms in the park’s Lower Town buildings have reopened. pic.twitter.com/37DKQ610XY
— Harpers Ferry NHP (@HarpersFerryNPS) December 18, 2018
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Public Information Officer Autumn Cook said the footbridge reopened early Tuesday, revealing minor damage to the C&O Canal towpath. The towpath flooded multiple times in 2018, including last June.
“It kind of just shakes that up a little bit. So there’s a lot of rock instead of the nice, flat surface. But really now damage other than that. We’re used to it now.”
A small employee parking lot along the Shenandoah River also flooded, which Cook said is typical when water reaches 18.5 feet.
.@NWS_BaltWash graphs showing water levels continuing to recede on the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry. pic.twitter.com/C4GbdIIqIe
— Mike McCullough (@MikeMcC_VH) December 18, 2018
“If the National Weather Service predicts something in the 21 (feet) or above range, we do call outs for employees and we start evaluating which buildings might be impacted,” said Cook. “It’s about 23 and a half (feet) when it starts to get in the buildings. That gives us a couple feet of buffer. We just kind of do it systematically, so there is a plan.”
In Morgan County, Powerhouse Road and Rock Ford Road, both near Great Cacapon, remain closed as of Tuesday afternoon due to water covering bridges over the Cacapon River.