# West Virginia flooding leaves at least six dead and two missing in Ohio County
Flash flooding in Ohio County, West Virginia, killed at least six people and left two others missing after a sudden burst of heavy rain overwhelmed roads, homes and emergency response on June 14, 2025, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.
The update from WVPB said the office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey confirmed a sixth death in connection with Saturday night’s flooding. Two people remained unaccounted for and were still considered missing. The governor declared a state of emergency for Ohio County on Sunday morning after the region received three inches of rain or more in just 30 minutes.
The report describes a fast-moving disaster. Floodwaters washed out more than a dozen roads, bridges and highways upstream of Wheeling, and damage was also reported inside the city. Emergency management officials said the speed of the flood severely limited response. Lou Vargo, emergency management director for Wheeling and Ohio County, said the water arrived with little warning and left people stranded in trees and other dangerous locations. The local accounts in the story make clear that this was not a slow-rising river event but a sudden flash flood that hit multiple points at once.
The state also expanded its emergency response beyond Ohio County. Morrisey later declared a state of emergency for Marion County after flash flooding near Fairmont caused the partial collapse of an apartment building. The West Virginia National Guard was mobilized to clear debris, reopen access routes and support clinical infrastructure.
The update also notes that search-and-rescue work remained active and that more heavy rain was forecast through Sunday evening, raising the risk of renewed flooding. That is important because it places the death toll inside an evolving emergency rather than a finished accounting. The confirmed fatalities and missing persons figure may still change as crews continue to search and assess damage.
Beyond the casualties, the flooding cut into basic services. The water system in Valley Grove, a small community east of Wheeling, was knocked out by flood damage, and local distribution points for water and supplies were set up. Vargo also said thousands of people were without power and that utility crews could not safely restore service until gas leaks were checked.
The evidence packet supports a straightforward conclusion: Ohio County suffered deadly flash flooding with major infrastructure damage, multiple emergency declarations and an ongoing search for missing people. The available reporting does not justify adding any estimate beyond the confirmed six dead and two missing, so this account stays with those figures.
