UPDATE: Toddler among 6 dead in W.Va. flash floods
Eric Ayres/The Intelligencer
WHEELING, W.Va. – A toddler and her mother were among six people who died in weekend flash flooding in the Triadelphia and Wheeling areas. Three more remained missing Monday.
Officials with the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, Wheeling Police Department and Wheeling Fire Department held a press conference Monday afternoon to update the public on the recovery effort that continues in the wake of this weekend’s devastating floods.
The victims were identified as Michael Veronis, 74, of Moundsville, and Triadelphia residents Lisa McMasters, 59, Michael Bokanovich, 73, Kyleigh Minch Shotton, 26, and her 3-year-old daughter, Parker Shotton, 3, and Travis Creighton, 19.
“We ask for your respect and compassion for these families as they grieve,” said Chief Deputy Kent Lewis of the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office. “Out of respect for their privacy, no further details will be released at this time in regards to them. We have three people still unaccounted for that we are still actively searching for.”
Recovery efforts resumed at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the Elm Grove, Triadelphia and Valley Grove areas by various fire departments and law enforcement agencies. Crews continue assessing homes, Little Wheeling Creek and Big Wheeling Creek.
Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches (6 to 10 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about a half hour on Saturday night.
“We almost immediately started getting 911 calls for rescue of people being trapped,” Lou Vargo, Ohio County’s emergency management director, said at a news conference Sunday. “During this time, we had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, and highways where we couldn’t respond to a lot of incidents. So we were delayed in getting there because there was just so much damage.”
Vargo added: “It happened so quickly and so fast. … I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’ve seen major floods here in the city and the county. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Authorities said vehicles were swept into swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught fire.
On Monday, officials were urging sightseers to avoid the disaster areas along National Road in the affected communities as the additional traffic was delaying ongoing recovery efforts.
Appalachian Power was working to restore power to roughly 1,700 homes in the Triadelphia and Valley Grove area. Several utility poles were damaged, as well as a substation.
Supplies for flood victims were being offered at distribution locations at the rear entrance of 25 Armory Drive in Wheeling and at Guntry on 45 Caliber Drive in The Highlands, Triadelphia.
For questions about volunteering, making donations or dropping off supplies to the flood victims, call 304-234-7109.
For missing persons or flooding questions, call 304-234-3756.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.