Death toll rises from devastating flash flooding in West Virginia as rain threat continues
The death toll climbed to eight on Wednesday from the devastating flash flooding in West Virginia, the governor said, as the heavy rain threat continues.
At least one person in the state is unaccounted for, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. State police are going door-to-door to check on people at impacted homes, he said.
"We're going to continue to look -- that's the top priority right now," Morrisey said.
Among the eight people killed was 19-year-old Travis Creighton, according to his sister, Shelby Creighton.
"He was so funny, full of life and had a very big heart. Any inconvenience I had, he sat and listen[ed]," Shelby Creighton said in a statement to ABC News. "Travis understood me in ways no one did. He was always there for his big sister as I was always there for my brothers."
"He was gone too soon," she said. "I’m the older sibling. They were supposed to bury me first, not the other way around."
Morrisey warned on Tuesday that the threat isn't over.
"Flood watches continue throughout West Virginia," Morrisey said on social media. "With the ground already saturated, there is the possibility of further flash flooding. Please continue to heed local warnings and do not attempt to drive through high waters."
The flash flooding began on Saturday night in Ohio County in the northern part of the state, dumping about 3 to 4 inches of rain over a short time period, according to the governor's office.
The flooding continued on Sunday in Marion County, dropping 3 inches of rain in the city of Fairmont over a short time period, state officials said.
A state of emergency is in effect, the governor said.
On Sunday, a residential building in Fairmont partially collapsed. Footage from the scene showed water rushing out of the severely damaged structure as emergency crews responded to the scene.
No one died in the apartment collapse and everyone has been accounted for, the governor said.
"I went there on Monday and surveyed the damage -- if you would see it in person, you would think it's a miracle that no one died from that," the governor said.
"It was truly unbelievable to see how the building buckled and how the water came in," Morrisey added.
ABC News' Darren Reynolds, Chris Looft and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
