WHEELING, W.Va. — State Division of Highways crews from several areas of the state are in Wheeling after Saturday night’s flooding that damaged roads and bridges along the creeks that empty into the Ohio River.
Four people are confirmed dead with four others missing.
State Transportation Secretary Stephen Todd Rumbaugh said four inches of rain fell in a half hour.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by this fast moving storm,” Rumbaugh said. “I have deployed resources from several DOH districts to assist with equipment and operators and will continue on the scene until it’s complete.”
The DOH has moved 29 pieces of heavy equipment into the area.
DOH District 6 Manager Mike Daley said this is some of the worst flooding he’s seen on the state. He compared the damage to the devastating floods of 1985 and 2016.
“It blew the windows and doors out of houses,” Daley said in a DOH news release. “It washed homes off of their foundations and carried mobile homes 200 or 300 feet from their original locations.”
U.S. Route 40 is among the roads that damaged. The floodwaters washed private roads washed out private roads and driveways. Most main arteries were at least passable by Sunday afternoon.
According to the DOH, “cleanup crews are now dealing with massive debris choking the roads, including cars, buildings, and even homes that were swept up by floodwaters.
“Numerous bridges were also choked with debris, including Conex storage containers and cars.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey had the area under a state of emergency.