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PARKERSBURG - Cleanup and support efforts continued Friday around the state of West Virginia from storms that included tornadoes.
Storms on Tuesday brought rain that caused flooding and damages from tornadoes in Pleasants and other counties north and east of Wood County. Officials from Wood County are part of efforts to help those impacted in Upshur County around the Buckhannon area.
The National Weather Service in Charleston confirmed at least two tornadoes touched down. Both began in Washington County and moved east into Pleasants County and one continued into Doddridge County.
Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard and Chief Deputy Mike Deem went to Upshur County on Thursday to help with efforts coordinated by the West Virginia Sheriff's Association in areas impacted by flooding. Woodyard said they were assigned to go to the Canaan and Gaines area which consists of two small unincorporated communities in Upshur County.
"Our assignment and goals was to contact the citizens to see if they needed any water or any kind of assistance," he said.
Deputies and other officers were working in downtown Buckhannon and along river areas helping with efforts, he said, adding the National Guard was helping people as well.
"The outpouring of support they are getting up there has been incredible," Woodyard said. "We talked to a lot of folks yesterday that had lost a lot. Many were still in good spirits. The communities up there have just come together, like we do here."
Woodyard said they brought water for those who needed it. On Friday, the Wood County Sheriff's Department helped coordinate the delivery of 20 skids of bottled water and other essential supplies.
Many of the donations came from supplies left over from donations people made to local emergency responders fighting the recent Peoples Cartage Warehouse fire, Woodyard said. The supplies were stacked at the Lubeck Volunteer Fire Department, the Wood County 911 Center and elsewhere, he said.
"The fact we had that was good," Woodyard said. "We are passing the kindness of the people here on to the folks who need it. These donations were made possible through the generosity of Wood County citizens and local businesses."
Woodyard also credited the Back to Life Foundation for donating a lot of water delivered to Upshur County.
Woodyard said they also took a drone from the sheriff's department to help, but it was not needed.
Woodyard would remain in contact with officials in Upshur County next week to see if there would be anymore assistance they need through the efforts of the West Virginia Sheriff's Association.
"We have all gone up and contributed and helped out our fellow officers in need," he said.
Woodyard urged people to help in ways they are able and to keep the people in the affected areas in their prayers as many are still struggling and digging out.
The West Virginia State Police issued a press release Friday releasing the identities of two individuals who lost their lives in the flooding in Upshur County.
Judy A. Young, 59, and James J. Harper, 61, both of Upshur County, were found deceased ins a vehicle that was recovered from the Stonecoal Lake area of Upshur County.
Preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was swept from the roadway due to rapidly rising floodwaters, the release said.
The next of kin have been notified and the investigation remains ongoing, the release said.
Sharon Kesselring, the executive director of the American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley, said on Friday it had two teams of two volunteers each in disaster assessments in Pleasants, Ritchie and Doddridge counties. They are also working in Washington County, but have not found as much damage there as in the other counties.
"Pleasants and Doddridge were impacted by wind and Ritchie by flooding water," she said.
The chapter is part of a larger disaster relief operation in the Central Appalachian Region.
Damage is still being assessed. Financial assistance will come later.
"We have delivered cleanup kits to Ritchie County Emergency Management to pass out," she said.
Food was delivered Thursday to the Auburn area where a shelter was open, but Kesselring did not have any information on its usage.
Mobile feeding operations are helping for around 200 people in Upshur and Lewis counties where emergency supplies also being distributed, Kesselring said.
The Red Cross did not have numbers of the number of people impacted. Residents are still digging out.
"Our operational focus is to provide safe and compassionate sheltering and disaster relief to those impacted by this event," Kesselring said. "(On Friday) we were getting better access. We have to be cautious where we are sending people to do assessments. We are keeping our people safe."
Pleasants County Commissioner Jay Powell said they have been dealing with power outages, downed trees, downed power lines and more since the storms hit. As of Friday, around 400 homes around the county were without power and that around 80 repairmen from Monongahela Power were restoring power.
"They have been tremendous and efficient and very thorough in making sure they are getting people power restored ASAP," Powell said.
"We anticipate really cutting into that number over the next 24-36 hours," Powell said Friday afternoon.
The West Virginia Department of Highways had four crews working in the area on Friday to remove tress and debris, including in the Greens Run area, Route 16, in between Belmont and St. Marys and the Emerick Hill area, among others.
"I can't speak highly enough about MonPower and Department of Highways trying to get things back to normal," Powell said. "We are thanking the good Lord there have been no serious injuries. There is a lot of damage to properties and people are working to get their properties cleaned up and get life back to a semi-normal state more sooner than later."
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday he would be in Pleasants and Lewis counties on Saturday, July 25, to evaluate storm damage.
A press conference will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Wright's Riverside Marine in St. Marys.