2 dead in flash floods caused by heavy rain in West Virginia, governor's office says

News > Top Stories

An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP)

The parking lot of the Walmart in Weston, W.Va., after severe floods on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos) — An Aerial view shows extensive flooding in Buckhannon, W.Va., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Office of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey via AP)

Audio By Carbonatix

3:17 PM on Thursday, July 23

The Associated Press

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (AP) — Two people have died in flash floods caused by torrential rains in West Virginia this week, the governor’s office said Thursday.

An emailed statement from Lars Dalseide, communications director for Gov. Patrick Morrisey, did not provide details on where the bodies were found or how the people died. Their identities were not immediately released.

They are the first confirmed deaths from Tuesday’s floods, when forecasters said up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell. Morrisey said some places received 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) in 37 minutes. Officials in north-central West Virginia have described the devastation as extensive.

Video and photos on social media showed submerged vehicles in parking lots, including at a Walmart in Weston where muddy water surged into the store. Across a nearby highway, a hotel’s main floor was inundated. Dozens of people stuck in submerged vehicles throughout the region had to be rescued, and floodwaters initially cut off access to them in some areas.

___

This story corrects the day the deaths were announced to Thursday, not Wednesday.