(WVNS) — Six years ago, on June 23, 2016, a once in a lifetime weather event occurred in southern West Virginia. 23 lives were lost and the memory is forever etched in the minds of the people here.
On this day, six years ago, torrential rain fell in great magnitude, hitting hardest Greenbrier, Summers, Fayette, Nicholas and Kanawha Counties. It was recorded that almost 10 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours. It was the deadliest flood in the Mountain State’s history. More than 60 roads were closed and some were even swept away by flood waters.
The heavy rain and flash flooding brought destruction and devastation to the Mountain State, especially in Greenbrier County where 15 deaths were confirmed.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued a statement on the Sixth Anniversary.
“Every West Virginian remembers the terrible flooding that ravaged the southern region of our state, killing 23 of our fellow West Virginians and destroying thousands of homes. Gayle and I join all West Virginians in continuing to pray for the families whose lives were forever changed by the loss of their loved ones. West Virginia continues to prove that we can overcome anything when we come together as a state, and I am incredibly proud of our strong, resilient statewide community. I encourage every West Virginian to take a moment today to remember the lives lost during the flood and to continue helping our neighbors rebuild after this horrible tragedy.”
US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Some towns continue to pick up the pieces of what the thousand year flood left behind. All of West Virginia remembers the lives that were lost too soon on June 23, 2016.
