Damaged homes in Buchanan County, Virginia.
(dpa) Several dozen people are missing after heavy rains and floods in the American state of Virginia. About 40 people are currently being searched for, said Eric Breeding of the western Buchanan County Police Station on Wednesday. “At this point in time there are no confirmed fatalities.” Many people have no cell phone reception and are therefore unable to contact the outside world. So you go from house to house to look for people, it said. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency.
The storms began on Tuesday evening (local time) with heavy rain. This resulted in flash floods, power outages and washed-out roads. “We are making all resources available to help those affected,” Youngkin said. Numerous roads were still closed on Wednesday, and the authorities set up an emergency hotline. Emergency services searched for missing persons from the air and with the water rescue service. Severe flooding hit the region last year.