Devastating images reveal damage wrought by flash flooding in rural Virginia
The photos taken in the wake of intense flash flooding show houses upended and cars destroyed in Buchanan County
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Your support makes all the difference.Heavy rain caused devastating floods in part of rural, southwest Virginia on Tuesday and Wednesday as search and rescue crews looked for missing people.
Over 40 people had initially been unaccounted for due to the floods and storms. As of Thursday afternoon, all of them had been found, with no deaths reported.
But the damage to some communities was severe, and will likely take months or longer to rebuild.
Images that emerged show cars crushed and buildings that drifted away.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency for the region.
“As we continue to assess the situation, I want to thank our first responders and the personnel on the ground for providing assistance with our ongoing operations in Buchanan County. While rescue and recovery continues, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy,” the governor said in a statement.
Over 100 homes are reported to have suffered damage. Some homes were reportedly ripped out from their foundations.
Thousands of customers were also left without power due to the storm, though service was starting to return to some areas. Much of Buchanan County is very rural and mountainous.
Roads and bridges had also been damaged, with some routes still impassable by Thursday morning.
A full assessment of the damage would start soon, an official said during a press conference on Thursday.
Flash floods like the one that occured in Buchanan County this week could become more common as the climate crisis grows. One study this year found that as warmer temperatures supercharge the amount of rain dumped by some storms, more parts of the country could witness these kinds of dangerous, rapid-onset flood events.
This part of Virginia also experience intense flooding last year as Hurricane Ida powered through in the late summer. One person died during that event.
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