The bodies of three more individuals were found overnight Saturday, raising the death toll to 26 after floods devastated parts of West Virginia, according to reports.
The floods have hit eight counties in the state as high water and rains have washed away and destroyed over 100 homes. Eight to 10 inches of rain hit surrounding areas on Thursday in only a 6-8 hour period of time, leading to the devastating damage.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said Friday that search and rescue operations are the top priority at the moment, adding that the flooding is “among the worst in a century” in various parts of the state.
Tomblin also said that the state is being affected in other ways, with 66,000 West Virginians losing power and forcing the gas to be shut off in White Sulpher Springs, a town in southeast West Virginia. He also activated 200 National Guard members to assist throughout the devastated areas while authorizing about 300 more to help with rescue efforts.
“Together with the National Guard, our first responders, local emergency management officials and firefighters from across the state have been working around the clock, and we are deeply appreciative of their efforts,” Tomblin said in a statement.
According to state climatologist Kevin Law, it’s the third-deadliest flood on record in the state, exceeded only the Buffalo Creek flood in 1972, during which 125 perished after a dam break, and a November 1985 flood that left 38 dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Juan and a second storm.
