West Virginia flooding prompts state of emergency as 300 National Guard members deploy
Catastrophic flooding can be seen in Weston, West Virginia, on July 22, 2026. (Andrew McDonald / FOX Weather)
WEST VIRGINIA - Hundreds of National Guard members were deployed across West Virginia on Wednesday after torrential rain flooded homes and businesses, washed out bridges and left some communities cut off.
What we know:
Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties Tuesday night as emergency crews responded to widespread flooding across the state.
The governor initially deployed 100 members of the West Virginia National Guard to the hardest-hit areas. The Associated Press reported that another 200 National Guard members were expected to arrive by late Wednesday morning, bringing the response to about 300.
"State and local agencies will remain on the ground for as long as it takes to help affected communities," Morrisey said.
More than 7 inches of rain fell in some locations. The National Weather Service warned residents in several communities to seek higher ground as water rapidly rose Tuesday night.
Rescues continue after flooding
Emergency crews reported dozens of rescues involving people stranded in submerged vehicles. In some areas, however, responders could not immediately reach people because floodwaters had blocked access.
First responders carried out water rescues for hours Tuesday night into Wednesday in Lewis and Upshur counties.
Lewis County Commissioner Agnes Quinn Queen described the damage across the county as extensive.
Photos and video from Weston showed vehicles submerged in parking lots and muddy floodwater entering a Walmart.
Sand Run at Buckhannon, West Virginia. (FOX Weather)
Roads, bridges damaged
Flooding forced the closure of portions of Interstate 79, U.S. Route 48 and several secondary roads.
Lewis County officials said the storms damaged roads, bridges, culverts, utilities, public infrastructure and private property.
A storm-related sinkhole also swallowed a vehicle outside a bar Tuesday night in Fayetteville, located in southern West Virginia.
Sand Run near Buckhannon rose to a record level during the flooding, surpassing a mark set during the deadly November 1985 floods.
Possible tornado damage reported
The storms were part of a larger severe weather system that stretched from the Cincinnati area through New Jersey and the New York City suburbs.
Possible tornado damage was reported near the West Virginia communities of St. Marys and Belmont.
Were any deaths reported?
No deaths were immediately reported in connection with the flooding.
Tuesday’s storms came 10 years after flooding in the same region killed 23 people. The ground was already saturated after more than 2 inches of rain fell across the state Saturday.
What's next:
Flash flood warnings across West Virginia had expired by Wednesday morning, though additional warnings were issued in neighboring Virginia.
Residents were still being urged to avoid damaged and flooded roads as crews assessed the destruction and worked to reach areas that had been cut off.
The statewide emergency declaration is scheduled to remain in place for 30 days unless it is ended earlier.
The Source: Information in this article came from The Associated Press, FOX Weather, the West Virginia governor’s office and the National Weather Service.