Virginia floods: Over 100 homes damaged, 40 people still missing

Over 100 residences have been destroyed and more than 40 people are still missing due to floods in a remote location in southwest Virginia, according to authorities on Wednesday. Still, there have been no reported fatalities or injuries.

At a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon, authorities announced that reports of flood waters and damage in Buchanan County started coming from Tuesday night. Crews conducted airborne assessments after dawn to determine the scale of the catastrophe. According to the sheriff's office, several tiny settlements in the Virginia county that neighbors West Virginia and Kentucky were affected.

According to the authorities, the number of individuals confirmed missing, were more than 40, including both children and adults. It was estimated to go down as rapid rescue teams searched the region and built a shelter at a nearby school.


Chief Deputy Eric Breeding of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office stated that the number of people missing is based on family members attempting to get in touch with residents in a place where phone service is affected by floods.

According to a Virginia Department of Emergency Management representative, accessing the distant area was a challenge for search and recovery crews. According to the official, numerous roads are closed by disaster, and bridge connections have been wiped off.

Last year's flood damage
When hurricane winds struck the region in August last year, they also caused significant flood damage in Buchanan County, which washed away homes and resulted in one fatality.

Authorities stated at the press conference that this week's floods were more extensive but less severe. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin made the emergency declaration to help the reaction and recovery operations.

More than 400 people had to be evacuated from a campground on Tuesday evening due to significant flooding caused by intense thunderstorms near the Little Pigeon River in eastern Tennessee. Although no injuries were reported due to the floods in Tennessee, automobiles and campground trash were carried downstream by flooding.