Community Bulletin
Since joining Vandalia Health, the former Davis Health System has widened access across central West Virginia. Primary care remains the front door — now at five clinics, including Buckhannon Medical Care, backed by a 190-location network. Read more →
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BUCKHANNON — Gov. Patrick Morrisey said the search for people still missing after this week’s catastrophic flooding remained the state’s top priority as he toured Buckhannon on Wednesday, pledging that West Virginia would “not spare any time or cost” to help Upshur County recover.
Speaking at a news conference near the flood-damaged center of the city, Morrisey said crews were still in the search-and-rescue phase a day after floodwaters tore through Buckhannon, Weston and other communities, and that officials feared the disaster may have cost lives.
“That remains job number one: protect human life, and that’s what we’re focusing on,” Morrisey said.
He said the state was braced for the worst.
“We are concerned about loss of life. We’re not here to make any specific announcements pertaining to that, but we are concerned about that,” Morrisey said.
The flooding followed an extraordinary burst of rain Tuesday evening. Morrisey said about 4.5 inches fell in a single 37-minute stretch, overwhelming the ground’s ability to absorb it. Mayor Robbie Skinner said more than 7 inches fell in the area overall.
“It’s just simply too much for any one system to take on,” Skinner said.
The Buckhannon River crested at about 28 feet, well into major flood stage and its highest level since 1996, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. A separate gauge on the river near Sand Run crested at 10.63 feet, breaking a record set in November 1985.
Morrisey, who declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties late Tuesday, said the state had mounted a full-scale response. The Division of Highways dispatched more than 3,100 workers and over 300 pieces of heavy equipment statewide — graders, excavators, backhoes, loaders and dump trucks — even after floodwaters damaged more than 150 pieces of highway equipment.
“Even with those losses, our highway crews haven’t slowed down,” Morrisey said.
He said at least 10 drones were in the air helping crews find problem areas, that Interstate 79 had reopened in both directions and that Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital was running on generator power with adequate fuel. Local, county and state crews had carried out more than 100 rescues, he said, including a 77-year-old resident found alive.
Maj. Gen. James Seward, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said 500 Guard members had deployed to the region — more than 300 in Upshur County and nearly 200 in Lewis County — after swift-water rescue teams worked through the night. Seven aircraft crisscrossed the counties Wednesday for recon and damage assessment.
“We’re here for the long haul, and we’ll be here right alongside all of you,” Seward said.
Three shelters were open — at Buckhannon Nazarene Church, Lewis County High School and Philippi Middle School — housing more than 100 people as of Wednesday morning, Morrisey said.
Skinner, visibly emotional, said he never imagined holding a news conference about a disaster in his hometown.
“This is something I never wanted to be a part of — a press conference about a disaster here in our community,” Skinner said. “But yet here we are.”
He said the response had drawn help from across the state, including crews from Hurricane and Elkins and members of the West Virginia Municipal League, and thanked West Virginia Wesleyan College for opening its campus as a supply drop-off site.
“This is a strong community, and I believe in us,” Skinner said. “We will show this state and the rest of the nation, because we’ve made national news, that we can come back and come back stronger from this.”
Buckhannon Police Chief Matt Gregory thanked the governor and the National Guard for the speed of the state’s response.
“Truly, we couldn’t do this alone,” Gregory said. “And as the governor said, we are all in this together.”
Upshur County Sheriff Mike Coffman, who spoke briefly about the first-responder effort, said crews would keep working “until we are sure that each resident is taken care of within the county.”
Morrisey said search and rescue would likely continue for another day or so. Asked how many people were unaccounted for, he said the state did not have an exact number but remained concerned.
“We’re going to do what’s needed to help these communities,” Morrisey said. “The state is going to stand by these communities.”
