PHILIPPI — On April 1, a video posted to social media showed rats scurrying along a Philippi street, causing concern from residents about the animals getting into vehicles and houses. The City of Philippi then responded quickly to address the issue.

“As soon as we found out what was happening we started working on it. We brought in outside professionals to help with the situation,” Philippi City Manager Jeremy Drennen told The Inter-Mountain this week.

Local residents who witnessed the rat issues agree that the city has worked to solve the issue.

“The city has addressed the problem,” Locust Avenue resident William Klaus said. “They have acted in more of a capacity than what they were expected to do. They were extraordinary.”

The videos were filmed and posted online by Crystal Johnson-Hughes. In the videos, rats can be scurrying in the street and in residents’ yards.

“Oh my gosh, it was horrible,” she told The Inter-Mountain. “I have lived here 17 years and never had an issue. At the beginning of winter, I heard a gnawing … and found a rat.”

Johnson-Hughes said after the rat was found in her home, she started hearing from other neighbors that they were also having issues.

She said the problem stemmed from a neighbor’s house. She noted the woman was removed from the structure and the city has condemned the property. She said her dogs killed one rat on her porch and another in her basement.

“You literally had to stop so they (the rats) could cross the road. They were in a car and a house. (A resident) was feeding them,” Johnson-Hughes said.

“(The City of Philippi) impounded the car and a police officer told me it looked like a crime scene, with blood from the rats fighting for food.”

Klaus said the infestation seemed to start in a house three doors down the street from him.

“It was real evident that there was a major problem at the house,” he said. “You would drive by the house and see the rats. Right before the city responded, there was a car in the street in which the rats took up housing, and then they moved into the house. You could see them on the roof.”

Johnson-Hughes said there was a steady flow of rats from the residence. She added, “It sounded like the ground was moving when you walked by. They were bigger than the cats in the neighborhood.”

Both Klause and Johnson-Hughes agreed the problem seems to have been taken care of. Klaus said once the city got involved, things moved quickly.

“The city manager took the bull by the horns and things were taken care of,” Klaus said. “The infestation, from my point of view, started behind my house. There are abandoned houses back there and people left food. (The rats) started getting in my house and I used poison and my dogs took care of it last year.”

Johnson-Hughes said she hasn’t seen a rat since the beginning of last week. She said animal control officials used poison to help remove them.

“Nothing was being done and I started posting videos and it was like boom, people were responding,” she said. “Once the city responded it moved quickly.

“I have seen the police department and animal control up there (at the residence) almost every day. I am not worried about finding one in my car or home anymore.”