THERE’S A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.
HEAVY RAINS THIS WEEK LED TO REPORTS OF RISING WATERS. IT WASN’T UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING, THOUGH, THAT THE TRUE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE CAME INTO SCOPE.
MORE THAN 100 HOMES WERE IMPACTED IN SOME WAY. SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS POSTED BY THOSE IN BUCHANAN COUNTY SHOWED HOUSES RIPPED RIGHT OFF THEIR FOUNDATIONS. ROADS AND BRIDGES IN THE AREA WERE WASHED OUT OR BLOCKED BY LANDSLIDES, MAKING TRAVEL TO THE REMOTE AREA DIFFICULT.
THERE ARE NO CONFIRMED DEATHS OR INJURIES AT THIS POINT, BUT MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR. THAT NUMBER IS LIKELY TO DECREASE, THOUGH, AS SWIFT-WATER RESCUE TEAMS CONTINUE TO SURVEY THE AREA.
THE SHERIFF SAYS THE NUMBER OF UNACCOUNTED IS BASED ON RELATIVES TRYING TO CONTACT PEOPLE IN THE AREA, BUT THERE MAY BE LIMITED OR NO PHONE SERVICE.
GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN SAID ON TWITTER “WE ARE MAKING EVERY RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED. WHILE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS CONTINUE, PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER AS WE LIFT UP OUR FELLOW VIRGINIANS IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGEDY.”
THE GOVERNOR DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RESPONSE TO THE FLOODING. THE ACTION MEANS MORE RESOURCES AND PEOPLE CAN BE MOBILIZED TO AID IN RECOVERY EFFORTS.