West Virginia's worst flooding in a
century kills 24
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[June 27, 2016]
By David Bailey
(Reuters) - West Virginia's three most
devastated counties and possibly others will receive federal assistance
after the state's worst flooding in more than a century killed at least
24 people, officials said on Saturday.
President Barack Obama declared a major disaster for West Virginia
and ordered federal aid to affected individuals in Kanawha,
Greenbrier and Nicholas counties that could include grants for
temporary housing, repairs and other programs.
Obama spoke with West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on Saturday
afternoon to give his condolences and make sure the governor has the
federal resources he needs, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
West Virginia's death toll from flooding is the highest for any U.S.
state this year, with 16 deaths reported in Greenbrier County in
southeast West Virginia, where the heaviest rain fell, and six in
Kanahwa County, officials said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state officials were
assessing damage in at least six other counties and the state may
ask for additional assistance, Tomblin said. Ohio and Jackson
counties also reported one death each.
 The death toll in West Virginia is the highest in any state from
flooding this year. At least 16 people, including nine U.S.
soldiers, were killed in flooding in Texas earlier in June.
Up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) of rain fell on Thursday in the
mountainous state, sending torrents of water from rivers and streams
through homes and causing widespread devastation.
Tomblin has declared a state of emergency in 44 of 55 counties and
expects 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard to help
rescue efforts on Saturday. About 32,000 homes and businesses
remained without power on Saturday.
Hundreds of people have been rescued and search and rescue teams
were looking for more people on Saturday, said Tim Rock, spokesman
for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management.
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A destroyed car rests in front of a house after flooding in
Clendenin, West Virginia, U.S., June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Marcus
Constantino

Some towns were completely surrounded by water and hundreds of
houses and buildings have been lost, Rock said.
The Greenbrier resort was closed indefinitely and PGA Tour officials
said on Saturday the Greenbrier Classic golf tournament due to begin
on July 7 had been canceled because of extensive flood damage.
West Virginia received one-quarter of its annual rainfall in a
single day and multiple rivers surged to dangerous levels, including
the Elk River, which broke a record at one stage that had stood
since 1888.
(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis and Jon Herskovitz in
Austin, Texas; Editing by David Gregorio and Tom Brown)
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