ROWLESBURG, W.VA. — It appears there will not be significant flooding along the Cheat River in Preston County from the weekend rain that stretched into Monday.
“I think this time it did real good,” Preston County Office of Emergency Management Director Duane Hamilton said. “It’s cresting right at 16-feet and that’s right at flood stage- I think we dodged a bullet.”
Hamilton said they thought the Cheat might flood at Rowlesburg.
“We watched it throughout the night and the anticipated crest was supposed to be at 22.3,” Hamilton said. “It’s now been dropped back to 16-feet which right at the beginning of flood stage.”
Data from the National Weather Service shows the northern part of West Virginia received 2.05 inches of rain from Saturday through Monday morning. Most of that total fell on Sunday and about one-half inch of the total fell across the area Monday.
Rain, combined with anticipated snow melt from the mountains created difficult conditions to forecast levels of rivers and streams, Hamilton said.
As of Monday morning there were other areas in Preston County that reported flood conditions. Specifically, the Family Dollar store in Bruceton Mills reported floodwaters from the Little Sandy inching up to the front door.
“It’s right up to the door of the Family Dollar,” Hamilton said. “Also down around Clifton Mills there are some houses that are getting close to flooding.”
Monongalia County flooding
Heavy rains in Monongalia County flooded some basements and spilled over roads that had clogged culvert pipes.
“Fire departments have been going out and helping these citizens by pumping water out of their basements,” Monongalia County MECCA 911 Director Jimmy Smith said Monday.
He said the threat of significant flooding was decreasing Monday afternoon.
“The water is starting to go down,” Smith said. “We did see some roadways that got covered with water, most of that was due to the culverts being plugged up.”
Forecasters say dry conditions will prevail for the remainder of the week.