Residents who were listed as missing in a Southwest Virginia county have been found and accounted for after a flash flood devastated the mountainous region.
Forty-four people were listed missing, including women and children, after roughly eight inches of rain fell Tuesday night in Buchanan County.
Loved ones are resting easy after search and rescue teams successfully contacted everyone who was unaccounted for. Officials said many of the flood victims fled to higher ground and could not be contacted due to power outages and disrupted phone service.
“We are also happy to report, we are at zero fatalities,” said Buchanan County Sheriff Chief Deputy Eric Breeding.
This week’s damage in the county is a grim reminder of last year’s flash flood and mudslides in the area that caused extensive damage and killed one person.
Emergency management officials said they are unaware of any new flood mitigation efforts for Southwestern Virginia.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a State of Emergency declaration for impacted areas. Residents said their neighborhoods look like a war zone.
“Well, it’s just mudslides. Trees in the road. Water in the road. Houses on the road. It’s just a mess,” said Archie White, a flood victim.
Flash floods were seen gushing through city streets. Buildings were washed from their foundations and roads were left impassable. In total, more than 100 homes were damaged. The clean-up is expected to take months as crews are still surveying the damage.
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