Devastating flash floods, triggered by torrential rainfall in northern West Virginia, have tragically claimed the lives of five individuals. Emergency crews are currently working tirelessly to locate three others still missing following the catastrophic weather event that struck on Saturday night.

The intense downpour, which saw between 2.5 and 4 inches of rain fall in areas like Wheeling and Ohio County within a mere 30 minutes, overwhelmed the region’s infrastructure. Ohio County’s emergency management director, Lou Vargo, described the scene at a Sunday press conference: “We almost immediately started getting 911 calls for rescue of people being trapped. During this time, we had major infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, and highways, preventing us from responding to many incidents. The extent of the damage significantly delayed our rescue efforts.”

The flooding caused widespread destruction, damaging roads, bridges, natural gas lines, and other crucial infrastructure. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and the search for the missing individuals continues.