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SPENCER -- Nearly 2.5 inches of rain fell in Roane County Saturday, leading West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency.
Roane was one of three counties to receive the declaration -- along with Cabell and Putnam -- after heavy rainfall caused flooding, road blockages and power outages in those areas, according to a release from the governor's office.
The governor authorized the West Virginia Division of Emergency Management to support the rain-swamped counties and to use all state resources necessary, officials said Saturday.
The rain started Friday, and a man in Cabell County man died after being swept away in floodwaters.
Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle said the man was identified as Denver Edmunds, 63, of Milton, media outlets reported. His body was recovered Friday evening.
Heavy rains Friday resulted in rapidly moving floodwaters several feet deep. Schools were dismissed early Friday afternoon in Cabell and Wayne counties. First responders helped guide families out of their homes in some areas.
The Roane County Office of Emergency Services shared a photo on its Facebook page of a car disabled in water that covered a portion of U.S. 119, reminding motorists it's never a good idea to drive through high water.
The National Weather Service reported 2.43 inches of rainfall in Roane County and 2.38 inches in Gilmer County, where Eric Squires, county director of homeland security, said the Little Kanawha River crested at around 26.5 feet. Flood stage there is 23 feet.
The result was what Squires described as "a typical flood," with 20 to 30 basements flooded and a road washed out, but no injuries or full losses of structures reported.
In Jackson County, several roads were blocked by high water and trees downed but no homes were reported damaged, said Walter Smittle, the county's emergency management director.
The Parkersburg area saw only half an inch of precipitation Saturday. A Wood County 911 Center supervisor said Sunday there had been few problems reported, although there was high water along the flood-prone area of Happy Valley Road.