Governor Patrick Morrisey declares a state of emergency for all 55 West Virginia counties following historic flooding and severe thunderstorms.

Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties in West Virginia on Tuesday evening as severe thunderstorms caused catastrophic flooding across the state. The storms dropped more than 5 inches of rain in parts of Upshur County in just six hours, leading to a flash flood emergency. The Sand Run stream gauge near Buckhannon reached a record high of 10.6 feet, surpassing the previous record set in 1985. The flooding has caused widespread damage to public infrastructure, private property, and roadways, particularly in Lewis, Pleasants, and Upshur counties. Approximately 28,792 residents across the state are currently without power, with crews working to clear downed trees and debris. The West Virginia National Guard is deploying 300 members to the hardest-hit areas to provide swiftwater rescue and engineering support. Meanwhile, the same storm system produced multiple tornadoes and damaging winds across Kentucky, Ohio, and New Jersey. The administration of the weather system is expected to linger through Thursday, bringing additional rain to the Mid-Atlantic region.

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