The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying they are responding to flooding throughout their county that began late Tuesday. Dozens of people are missing and more than 100 houses have been damaged or destroyed, while some buildings have been swept off their foundations. “We are currently tracking approximately 40 people who are missing as a result of this flooding,” according to Chief Deputy Eric Breeding of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office at a media briefing Wednesday. No casualties have been reported. Flooding in Buchanan County, Virginia, on Wednesday. (Virginia Department of Emergency Management) Eighteen search and rescue agencies are in the area, according to Breeding. Deana Kimbrough told WCYB her family gathered at her home when the flooding started. “We said, if we got any higher, we’d just start climbing the mountains to try and be safe, but luckily, thank God, we didn’t have to.” Seth Owens told the station: “We were sitting on this post office here, and the next thing you know, the house floats down from there. We thought it would wash away. Two of the houses were washed away.” The worst flooding occurred in Pilgrims Knob and Whitewood and surrounding communities. More than two inches of rain has fallen in the county since the beginning of the week. This is a developing story and we will continue to update as more details come in. Buchanan County was also badly damaged by flooding last year when remnants of a hurricane hit the area in September, washing away homes and leaving one person dead. This week’s flooding was less severe but more widespread, authorities said at the news conference. Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a statement on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, saying “I am deeply saddened by the devastating news of the flooding in Buchanan County. We have every means available to help those affected. While rescue and recovery operations continue, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians affected by this tragedy.” A state of emergency has been declared by the Governor to assist with response and recovery efforts. Severe storms also led to flooding Tuesday afternoon along the Little Pigeon River in eastern Tennessee, prompting the evacuation of more than 400 people from a campground. No injuries were reported from the flooding in Tennessee, but vehicles and debris from the Greenbrier campground were washed away by floodwaters, Sevier County Assistant Mayor Perrin Anderson told news outlets. Portions of this report are from the Associated Press. The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report breaking news about weather, the environment and the importance of science in our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
