A 12-year-old was reported to have been swept away in Virginia, and rescuers in Maryland used boats to help evacuate elementary school students as heavy rain caused rivers to flood in several states Tuesday.
In Albemarle County, Virginia, the fire department said it searched for a 12-year-old boy who was reported to have been seen swept away by floodwaters. The search was paused overnight over safety concerns but was due to resume Wednesday.
A person called 911 at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and reported that the boy was swept away by rushing water that spilled from a creek onto a roadway, Albemarle County Fire Rescue said.
In Allegany County, Maryland, Georges Creek Elementary School and Westernport Elementary were evacuated, and students at a middle school were told to shelter in place, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said. No injuries were reported.
The flash floods in Maryland and Virginia occurred as more than 17 million people were under flood watches or warnings from southern Pennsylvania and West Virginia to North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.
“Many streams and rivers west of I-95 are either already in or forecast to go into flood stage this evening/tonight,” the weather service office for Maryland said. “Remember, turn around, don’t drown. Nighttime flooding is especially dangerous.”
A flood warning was in place for Allegany and Washington counties in Maryland until 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, the state Department of Emergency Management said.
Allegany County got more than 5 inches of rain Tuesday, the weather service for the region, which is located in Sterling, Virginia, said in a statement. Prince William County, Virginia, got 4 inches of rain.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said state police and the Department of Natural Resources sent officers and dive teams to help. “We have been in touch with local officials and are standing by to lend more support if necessary,” he said.
In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he ordered the state emergency operations center to open due to flash flooding.
Mineral County Emergency Management said that around 200 people have been evacuated there due to floods. Around 6 1/2 inches of rain fell on the Keyser area over the past 24 hours, Director of Emergency Services Luke McKenzie said in a statement Tuesday evening.
