Heavy rain forecast for weekend
ELKINS — Emergency officials urge people to be cautious of high waters as heavy rains are in the forecast this morning.
The National Weather Service stressed the possibility of Tropical Depression Cindy leading to flooding which could be significant in areas around the state, including parts of Randolph, Upshur and Pocahontas counties.
Randolph County Office of Emergency Management Director Cindy Hart advises people to stay out of moving water.
“Watch for rising floods,” Hart said. “If water starts to rise, seek higher ground.”
The NWS was predicting that parts of Randolph, Upshur and Pocahontas would be under flash-flood watch until approximately 2 a.m. today — with the possibility of 1.5 to 3 inches of rain throughout Friday night.
Throughout this morning, the storm is expected to move from west to east with frontal passage. The possibility of the storm leading to damaging winds is limited, the NWS said.
People in the community can sign up for an online service to stay up-to-date and receive alerts from local agencies. The system will send alerts for severe weather, criminal activities, missing persons, severe traffic or other local events.
To register to receive emergency updates, residents can log onto nixle.com to create an account. Each account can be customized for alerts from your local agencies.
Rain bands reeling away from Tropical Depression Cindy spread drenching rains from the Southeast to the Midwest Friday, triggering flash flood warnings over several states including West Virginia, where residents on Friday marked the anniversary of deadly floods last June.
The storms stretching for hundreds of miles are expected to push river levels higher in coming days as the remnants of a tropical storm cross Tennessee and Kentucky into West Virginia. The severe weather, which was blamed for recent coastal flooding in the Deep South, tornadoes and one death, is rumbling closer to the densely populated East Coast.
National Weather Service forecasters said rainfall totals of 2-4 inches (50-100 millimeters) were possible in several states, with up to 6 inches (150 millimeters) in isolated spots. Flash flood watches were issued for much of Kentucky and West Virginia. Last June, torrential rains in West Virginia claimed 23 lives and memories of that disaster remained fresh at somber ceremonies honoring the dead.
A brief ceremony marking last year’s fatal flooding took place Friday at the West Virginia Police Academy in Dunbar, where a bell was rung 23 times, for each who died. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin traveled to another community, White Sulphur Springs, for the dedication of a memorial for eight victims there.
Labeled a 1,000-year flood by the National Weather Service, the storm destroyed more than 2,100 homes statewide and damaged another 2,000. “As time goes on we’re struggling to get through the after effects of what took place in the flood,” John Wyatt, a pastor from Rainelle, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting. He’s still rebuilding his own home.
On Friday evening, Gov. Jim Justice planned to join a candlelight service at Rainelle United Methodist Church in one of his state’s worst-hit flood areas of 2016. Five people in that town of 1,500 died in the disaster that piled up water, mud and debris in homes, businesses and streets.