WHEELING, W.Va. — Severe flash flooding swept through Wheeling and parts of Ohio County on Saturday evening, prompting a large-scale emergency response and numerous water rescues.
Multiple water rescues were reported at Overbrook and Lumber Avenue where first responders pulled people from submerged vehicles. Reports of missing persons have emerged, and as of late Saturday night, authorities were actively searching for several individuals unaccounted for in parts of Ohio County.
The community turned to social media for real-time updates, posting photos of missing friends and family members and asking for help or information. Others used platforms to check on loved ones and share updates from emergency management services.
First responders remained on the scene throughout the night and into the early morning hours of Sunday to assist residents and motorists hit by the floodwaters. EMA efforts will likely continue for many days ahead.
A flash flood watch was issued earlier Saturday by the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh and was later upgraded to a warning extended through 3 a.m. Sunday. The warning covered parts of Belmont County in Ohio and Brooke and Ohio Counties in West Virginia.
Floodwaters overwhelmed multiple neighborhoods, especially in the Elm Grove and Overbrook areas. National Road was heavily affected. According to the Wheeling Police Department, the section of National Road between Taco Bell and CVS was underwater and closed to all traffic until further notice.
Nearby, the stretch between WV 88 and Mount DeChantal Road was shut down due to flooding, including the closure of Shilling Bridge in Elm Grove due to debris wedged beneath it.
Flooding was widespread along U.S. Route 40, with damage reported from Valley Grove through Triadelphia and into the Overbrook section of Elm Grove. Officials urged residents to avoid the stretch between Valley Grove and Dallas Pike.
In Woodsdale, several streets were also closed due to high water. The Washington Avenue neighborhood faced a critical situation as water levels rose to 14 feet at one point.
Authorities also reported power outages Saturday night with more than 3,000 customers without electricity with outages concentrated in the Oglebay area, Valley Grove and Triadelphia.
Authorities advised residents to stay off the roads, especially near flooded areas, and to remain vigilant.
Authorities opened Elm Grove Elementary School as a shelter for flood victims.
The flooding began on June 14, on the 35th anniversary of the devastating 1990 Shadyside, Ohio flood, which claimed 26 lives when Wegee and Pipe Creeks flooded following extreme rainfall of 3–4 inches in under two hours.
