National Guard deploys as flash floods in West Virginia inundate homes and businesses

National Guard deploys as flash floods in West Virginia inundate homes and businesses 0 seconds of 50 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Trump vows US will strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain ‘very soon’ 01:38 Subtitle Settings OffEnglish(US)_v Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Edge Color Black Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25% 200%175%150%125%100%75%50% ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25%0% WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan 100%75%50%25%0% 00:00 00:50 00:50 More Videos 01:38 Trump vows US will strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain ‘very soon’ 00:25 Bridge near Bandar Abbas severely damaged in latest US strikes 01:00 Attempt to save a struggling swimmer leaves 5 dead in an Ohio river 01:14 Trump, Infantino give World Cup high praise, calling tournament a success 01:31 Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, two AP sources say 01:15 Trump celebrates World Cup success, comments on action against Iran 01:08 West Virginia governor says some are unaccounted for in flooding 01:46 Trump warns Iran will 'pay a big price' as he heads to Dover to honor fallen service members Close 1 of 6 | Parts of West Virginia are cut off after torrential rains inundated the state. National Guard members have been deployed to the hardest-hit areas in the northern part of the Mountain State. 2 of 6 | An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP) 3 of 6 | An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP) 4 of 6 | Mud and debris near Stonecoal Creek in Horner, W.Va., after severe floods on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos) 5 of 6 | This photo provided by Joe Kinzer shows flash flooding Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Buckhannon, W.Va. (Joe Kinzer via AP) 6 of 6 | Damage and debris outside of a home after severe floods in Weston, W.Va., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos) By JOHN RABY Updated 2:08 AM MESZ, July 23, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Torrential rains caused flash floods in West Virginia that inundated homes and businesses, washed out bridges and led to numerous water rescues. The state’s governor said that some residents were unaccounted for as search operations continued Wednesday. Gov. Patrick Morrisey sent hundreds of National Guard members to the hardest-hit areas in the northern part of the state and declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties Tuesday night. The state Division of Natural Resources has been involved in 85 rescues, he said, and 19 National Guard and state police helicopters were either out on rescue missions or standing by if needed. Three shelters were opened Wednesday that housed a total of more than 100 residents, the governor said at a news conference. Governor says he is concerned about any fatalities Asked if anyone was unaccounted for, Morrisey replied: “We don’t have an exact number but we are concerned about fatalities,” adding that “as soon as we have more information” officials will provide details. “This is a time for West Virginians to come together to do everything possible, not only to pray for all those who are affected, but we’re going to need a lot of help in the days and weeks ahead,” he said. “Let’s help these communities rebuild.” Texas is drenched by heavy rains as forecasters warn that more storms could bring dangerous floods 5 MIN READ Flooding forces evacuations in parts of South Texas as slow-moving storms swamp the region 4 MIN READ More than 200 people at a summer camp helicoptered to safety as Missouri faces flooding 4 MIN READ Lars Dalseide, Morrisey’s communications director, said in an email Wednesday night that “any specific information related to the flooding will only be released after established procedures are followed and the relevant facts are verified to ensure accuracy.” Sgt. 1st Class Ariana Shuemake, the West Virginia National Guard’s public affairs officer, referred questions on whether there were any deaths to the governor’s office. Emails seeking similar information weren’t immediately returned by West Virginia Department of Homeland Security spokesman Andy Malinoski and the heads of the Lewis and Upshur county offices of emergency management. Forecasters said up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell. Morrisey said some places received 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) in 37 minutes. Dozens of people are rescued from vehicles stranded in floodwater Video and photos on social media showed submerged vehicles in parking lots, including at a Walmart in Weston where muddy water surged far into the store. Across a nearby highway, a hotel’s main floor was inundated. Emergency crews reported dozens of rescues of people stuck in submerged vehicles. However, some rescuers were unable to get to locations where floodwaters had cut off access. Officials in some communities were still waiting for floodwaters to recede Wednesday before figuring out where the public can drop off donated supplies. Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner said one such place will be West Virginia Wesleyan College. “This is heartbreaking,” Skinner said. “This is not something you want to see in your hometown. But we will get past it. We will get through it.” Rains were part of series of storms stretching from Ohio to New York City suburbs The heavy rains were part of wide-ranging storms — which also produced reports of tornadoes — stretching from the Cincinnati area across New Jersey to the New York City suburbs. Damage from a possible tornado was reported in the area of St. Marys and Belmont in West Virginia. The ground was already saturated after storms dumped more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain throughout the state on Saturday. Although the rain had cleared out Wednesday, flood warnings remained in several counties for low-lying areas and areas near rivers and creeks. Flood watches were posted for a large swath from eastern Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. Emergency service communication channels buzzed with activity late Tuesday night in West Virginia’s Lewis and Upshur counties, which have about 40,000 residents combined. First responders performed water rescues Tuesday night into Wednesday, Lewis County Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen said. “The devastation across our county is extensive,” she said in a social media post. Floodwaters forced the closure of portions of Interstate 79, U.S. Route 48 and numerous secondary roads. A sinkhole caused by the storm swallowed a vehicle at a bar in Fayetteville. Tuesday’s storms occurred a decade after 23 people died when heavy rains fell for hours over the same areas. Data from a U.S. Geological Survey water gauge showed one creek tributary, Sand Run, rose to a record level near Buckhannon, topping the mark set during a November 1985 flood event that resulted in 47 deaths statewide. Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.