Seventeen people remain unaccounted for in Buchanan County, Virginia, on Thursday after a powerful storm swept through the area, bringing heavy rain and flooding, officials said.
At the height of the flooding, 44 people were missing on Wednesday. Authorities were working to reach the remaining 17 people Thursday morning, focusing on a road that was impassable Wednesday, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office said. Flooding is now receding, officials said, which straddles the borders of Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries, the sheriff said.
The flooding came after 4 to 6 inches of rain drenched the area within hours Tuesday night. Some locations reported 3 inches of rain in just 90 minutes. A frontal system has stalled over the region, which can produce heavy amounts of rain in a very short period of time.
The damage extended about 10 miles, officials said, adding that the worst impact was downstream from where several streams converge.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency.
“I want Virginians in Buchanan County to know that we are making every resource available to help those affected by this storm. As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and personnel on the ground for assisting with our ongoing operations,” he said in a statement.
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