West Virginia governor declares state of emergency after flash floods
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency in the northern parts of the state after flooding from heavy rains.
Counties included in the Saturday morning declaration are Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Marion, Monongalia and Harrison.
Clean-up efforts began Saturday along the Ohio Valley in West Virginia. Swift water rescue crews were sent to McMechen overnight to help residents evacuate from their homes, CBS affiliate WTRF reports.
According to the governor's office, state and county emergency officials are evacuating some areas and the West Virginia National Guard has been mobilized to help.
The National Weather Service reports that between 2 and 3.5 inches of rain has fallen over a flood warning area, including Morgantown, with many roads closed Saturday morning.
The service says rain is letting up but streams will flow over their banks through early afternoon.
Authorities have recovered the body of a 19-year-old woman who was swept away by flash flooding earlier in the week.
Officials say Page Geller's body was found in the Ohio River on Saturday. Geller and 24-year-old Michael Grow were in a van on Sunday that rolled into a stream following heavy rains. Grow was pulled from the floodwaters and later died at a hospital. Ohio County Emergency Management Director Lou Vargo said authorities did not find Geller until early Saturday morning when heavy rains again caused flooding in the northern parts of the state.