Heavy rain and flash floods tore through parts of West Virginia on Monday morning, prompting emergency water rescues and evacuations, as residents were instructed to seek higher ground.
Over five hours, the National Weather Service recorded between three and six inches of rainfall in the Upper Kanawha Valley area near the capital, Charleston, with radar picking up more than eight inches of rain in some areas.
A flood warning remains in effect through Monday afternoon, with the possibility of another inch of rain.
We had almost no warning whatsoever, which is very unusual,” said Kent Carper, the president of the Kanawha County Commission.
He said the county only had 30 minutes to prepare and warn residents, adding that one area received more than nine inches of rain in less than an hour.
Persons:
”, Kent Carper
Organizations:
National Weather Service, Commission
Locations:
West Virginia, Kanawha, Charleston