ELKVIEW, W.Va. — Shoppers and employees in Kanawha County had no way out when the road leading into the Elkview Crossings Plaza collapsed during Thursday’s thunderstorm.
The plaza, just off Interstate 79 South, was under water Thursday night due to severe flooding and high water levels from the Little Sandy Creek.
“Everybody that’s in the plaza can’t get out of the plaza. The gas station has been shutdown. Basically, we’re all just kind of stranded here,” said Karen Cogar, manager at Bob Evans in Elkview.
Cogar told MetroNews she had to close the restaurant due to no water and no gas.
“We’re limited on what we can even serve,” she said.
Rooms at the La Quinta Inn and Suites nearby were booked, so about 10-12 of Cogar’s employees had no choice but to camp out at the restaurant.
“People are just kind of wandering around. A lot of them don’t have a place to stay because, like I said, the hotel is full and there’s no way in or out,” Cogar said.
Cogar said the area started flooding at around 4 p.m. and the road collapsed at about 7 p.m. Thursday.