As flash floods in West Virginia kill at least 8, Gov. Morrisey aims to rally residents during clean-up
The death toll continues to rise, search and rescue operations are still underway, and clean-up efforts are far from over.
"I do have some somber news to report. We now can clearly state that eight people are confirmed dead in Ohio County," said Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
The grim update from Gov. Morrisey came several days after flash flooding destroyed homes and washed away roads in the Wheeling-Ohio County area.
A man was found dead Wednesday morning in the Ohio River, bringing the death toll to eight.
"We can't take that back, but we can honor their memory by coming together and doing everything we can to help the remaining people that might be out there, and help rebuild in Ohio County," Morrisey said.
Crews didn't know the man who was found Wednesday was missing. They found him while looking for a woman who's still missing.
"We have at least one unaccounted for, but we don't know whether there will be others. We're going to continue to look. That's the top priority right now," the governor said.
"We retrieved a person this morning, and we all knew that even though we had eight, there might be people who were never witnessed and were in the water," said Lou Vargo, the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director.
As much as four inches of rain fell in the northern panhandle within just 40 minutes Saturday night. Marion County was also hit hard by flooding.
Governor Morrisey said everyone there is alive and accounted for.
He said he's been in touch with the White House for assistance and will send damage surveys to FEMA once they're all submitted by flood victims.
He and Vargo urged residents impacted by the floods to submit those surveys.
"I know President Trump cares deeply about West Virginia, he really does, and so I'm going to make my best argument to him as to why Ohio County and West Virginia, and Marion County, all these areas deserve the help to get our citizens back on the right track," Morrisey said.
Despite the tragedy and the long road ahead, West Virginians are strong, and they'll rebuild together.
"One thing that's true about West Virginians: We're never, never going to give up," Gov. Morrisey said. "We're going to come back from this stronger than ever, and we're going to work together."
"Volunteers are stepping up in a way that we haven't seen before. Everyone is reaching out to help their brothers and sisters in need. The coordination on the ground has been excellent," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Gorgeous weekend weather arrives after one of hottest Julys on record. Here's the weather forecast.
The weekend is here and we will be rewarded with absolutely gorgeous conditions, with morning lows in the 50s / Low 60s across the Delaware Valley. Daytime highs settle right in the mid-low 80s under a sun filled sky along with low humidity. Perfect conditions to get out and enjoy! The dry and nice trend lasts in to next week with our next weather maker possibly bringing us showers on Thursday but until then we can enjoy a nice dry stretch guilt free, as we are not in a drought situation around the Delaware Valley. In fact, many places need a dry stretch after drenching rain on Thursday. July ended up as one of the hottest Julys on Record, the warmest since 2020, including 21 days with the high temp hitting 90° or greater. That ties the all-time record for number of days in July. Saturday: Sunny & cool. High 81, Low 64. Sunday: Beautiful. High 84, Low 62. Monday: Sunny, warmer. High 88, Low 63. Tuesday: Sunny, pleasant. High 86, Low 65. Wednesday: Turning cooler. High 81, Low 68. Thursday: Shower possible. High 81, Low 67. Friday: Partly cloudy. High 84, Low 65. NEXT Weather Radars Hourly Forecast
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
EF0 tornado briefly touches down in Annapolis
A waterspout was spotted over Spa Creek in the Eastport neighborhood of Annapolis on Thursday evening. On Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that the waterspout passed briefly as an EF0 tornado over the Severn Sailing Association marina. According to the NWS, a witness watched as the waterspout moved ashore and over the marina, blowing over multiple trailered and small boats in the parking area. Videos from social media captured near the Route 450 bridge showed the tornado spinning from the shoreline to the mouth of the river, moving west to east. It then disappeared before reaching land on the opposite side of the river. No additional damage was reported. A Flash Flood Watch was in effect for most of the Baltimore region, including Howard County, until early Friday morning. Storms brought severe damage to multiple communities. In Mt. Airy, a 13-year-old boy drowned after being swept into an outdoor drainage pipe. Meanwhile, in Harford County, two people were rescued from floodwaters at the Pulaski Highway and Baltimore County line. "Numerous people have been rescued from flood waters as a result. Fortunately, there have been no injuries," the Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company said. "Do not attempt to drive or cross flooded roads or sidewalks. Turn around, don't drown." Additionally, an ambulance and at least one vehicle crashed in the Joppa area and were leaning on the side of the road on Mountain Road and Greenspring Avenue.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Maryland Set for Cool, Comfortable Weekend Before Midweek Rain Chances Return
A refreshing stretch of weather is setting up across Maryland as we head into the weekend, bringing sunshine, low humidity and seasonably mild temperatures. Skies will clear tonight, allowing temperatures to dip to near 60 degrees across much of the region. Some of the typically cooler spots, especially north and west of Baltimore, could fall into the upper 50s by early Saturday morning. The weekend itself will feature nearly ideal summer conditions. Both Saturday and Sunday will bring plenty of sunshine with highs near 80 degrees. Humidity levels will remain low, making for comfortable afternoons and cool nights. Lows both nights will hover near 60 degrees, with patchy areas dipping into the 50s. These pleasant conditions will hold into the start of next week. Monday looks sunny once again with highs close to 80, while Tuesday brings increasing clouds. Despite the added cloud cover, the forecast remains dry through Tuesday evening. By Wednesday, however, the pattern begins to change. Rain chances return midweek and could persist into Friday. While it is too early to pinpoint exact rainfall amounts, multiple days of unsettled weather are possible, which could provide a much-needed soaking for parts of the region that have been running drier over the past several weeks. Even with the clouds and potential showers, temperatures will stay seasonably mild. Highs throughout the week will remain steady near 80 degrees, with overnight lows holding in the 60s. This stretch marks a welcome break from the persistent heat and humidity typical of early August. For many across Maryland, the weekend offers a taste of late-summer comfort before a wetter pattern sets in later next week.
