Residents of two West Virginia counties are recovering from a severe flash flood that destroyed at least two bridges, prompting dozens of water rescuers early Monday.
Brown water rises rapidly overnight in Kanawha and Fayette counties, uprooting trees, swallowing cars and roads, washing culverts and plunging into Kanawha County, just east of Charleston, Western Australia Officials said at least 100 homes were damaged in the raid.
The rain started around 3 a.m. Monday morning, dropping two to five inches, said Megan Keibler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Charleston.
In Kanawha County, emergency lines were flooded with hundreds of requests. According to Jennifer Herald, county manager of the Kanawha County Commission, emergency responders have conducted 25 water rescues.
Neither county reported any fatalities or serious injuries.
“We have many peaks and valleys,” Gerardo said. “When there is a lot of rain, the stream flows rapidly into the lowlands.”
In neighboring Fayette County, Route 39 outside the Gorey Bridge will be closed for several hours. Rod Purduethe county sheriff’s department chief deputy said Monday morning.
More than 2,000 people in Fayette and Kanawha counties powerless from Monday afternoon. The rain had stopped, but the stream hadn’t receded yet, Mr. Keibler said.
“Showers and thunderstorms are possible again later this afternoon,” she said. This potential afternoon rain and storm pattern will continue this week, she added.
Flash floods are not limited to areas with nearby bodies of water. Heavy rains in a short period of time can cause surges everywhere.
As the climate warms, researchers expect flash floods to increase and become more “flashy,” with shorter but more intense floods.