MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
At least five people have died in flash floods in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle, which is west of Pittsburgh. At least three others are still missing. Chris Schulz with West Virginia Public Broadcasting has more.
CHRIS SCHULZ, BYLINE: West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for Ohio County yesterday morning, after the region received 3 inches of rain or more in just 30 minutes. By evening, he declared another state of emergency for Marion County, after flash flooding in the area of Fairmont caused the partial collapse of an apartment building. Rushing floodwaters picked up vehicles and washed-out roads, bridges and highways upstream of the city of Wheeling, but there was damage in the city, too. Authorities conducted more than a dozen swift water rescues. Lou Vargo, emergency management director for Wheeling and Ohio County, said the speed of the flood and the impact to local infrastructure has severely limited emergency response.
LOU VARGO: There was people in trees. We had a trailer on fire that - the road on both sides of that was giving out. We couldn't really get a response to it till some of that water receded.
SCHULZ: Thousands remained without power yesterday, as utility providers delayed restoring service until after natural gas leaks could be fixed. Vargo asked residents to submit formal damage declarations to assist in securing a federal disaster declaration. If approved by President Trump, it would be the second disaster declaration for West Virginia this year, after three people died in flooding in the southern region in February. Governor Morrisey announced at a press conference yesterday afternoon the National Guard was mobilized to clear debris, reopen access routes and support critical infrastructure.
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PATRICK MORRISEY: We know that the National Guard aviation assets remain on standby to conduct search-and-rescue missions for individuals.
SCHULZ: Morrisey said last night the focus remained on search and rescue, and assessing the full damage would begin today.
For NPR News, I'm Chris Schulz in Morgantown, West Virginia.
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