Log in

Latest: Search for Virginia flood victim to halt for night

Posted 5/31/18

The Latest on the effects of the remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

Authorities in central Virginia say they are temporarily halting their search for one of two …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Latest: Search for Virginia flood victim to halt for night

Posted
The Latest on the effects of the remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto (all times local): 6:30 p.m. Authorities in central Virginia say they are temporarily halting their search for one of two people swept away in a car by a flooded creek. The other person has been found dead. Albemarle County Fire Chief Dan Eggleston said at a news conference Thursday that rescuers were pausing the search overnight because of dangerous conditions. He said the search would resume Friday morning in the daylight. The car was caught in a raging creek Wednesday night. Police have not identified the people in the vehicle. Heavy rain from the remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto brought on the flooding in central Virginia, parts of the Shenandoah Valley and elsewhere around the Southeast. 4:25 p.m. Authorities in central Virginia say one of the two people swept away by a flooded creek has been found dead. Lt. Miller Stoddard of the Albemarle County Police Department said in a news release Thursday that one occupant of a car that was caught in the raging creek the night before had been located. Authorities were searching for the second person. Police did not immediately identify either person. Further north in Madison County, authorities were searching for a woman who also went missing in water Wednesday night. Heavy rain from the remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto brought on the flooding in central Virginia, parts of the Shenandoah Valley and elsewhere around the Southeast. 11:10 a.m. Authorities say flooding in rural Virginia that's left at least three people missing has also damaged an unknown number of homes, washed out some roads and bridges and prompted at least one school system to close. Dan Eggleston is fire chief for central Virginia's Albemarle County. He said at a news conference Thursday morning that rescue efforts are continuing for two people who were swept away by a normally docile creek. Eggleston says authorities have responded to at least 10 other water rescues and received reports of damage to homes. The extent of the damage wasn't immediately clear. Farther north in Madison County, the sheriff's office said rescuers are searching for a female reported missing the night before. Albemarle County schools were closed Thursday, and Eggleston said damage to a water treatment plant had affected service in part of the county. 10 a.m. Authorities in a flood-staggered swath of rural Virginia have performed multiple water rescues and are searching roadside woodlands for a third missing person feared swept away amid weather caused by Subtropical Storm Alberto. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said Thursday morning in a Facebook post that rescuers are searching for a missing person after receiving a report of a female in the water. The post said the person was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and the search had been ongoing overnight. Officials in the area couldn't immediately be reached for further details. Authorities are also looking for a man and woman last seen standing outside their silver Toyota Prius in Albemarle County on Wednesday night when they and their car were swept away. So far, there's been no sign of the missing couple. Authorities are reminding citizens not to attempt to drive or walk across flooded roadways. 8:30 a.m. A swift water rescue team is searching a swath of central Virginia for two people who were seen being swept away by a flash flood's torrent of muddy water amid stormy weather caused by Subtropical Storm Alberto. According to a news release from the city of Charlottesville, the man and woman were seen standing outside their silver Toyota Prius in Albemarle County on Wednesday night when they and their car were swept away. By early Thursday, there has been no sign of the missing couple. The city says a second car was also swept away but its single occupant was rescued from the floodwaters. Numerous roads have been closed due to flooding and mudslides. Authorities on Thursday have shuttered all schools in the Albemarle, Virginia area. 7:50 a.m. Two people are dead in the North Carolina mountains when a home was destroyed by a gas leak following a landslide as several states continue to feel the effects of Subtropical Storm Alberto. The Boone Police Department said in a news release that rescuers were called about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Sgt. Shane Robbins said the landslide resulted in the "catastrophic destruction" of the home because of a gas leak. The only two people in the home were found dead in the rubble. Their names haven't been released while relatives are notified. The Watauga County Sheriff's Office is investigating. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Wednesday, saying the forecast for the rest of the week calls for isolated heavy rain storms that could instantly cause flooding in areas that have had 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in the past 15 days. 7:10 a.m. Swift-water rescue teams are looking for two people who went missing on a flooded road in Albemarle County, Virginia. A man and a woman were last seen in the water Wednesday night as their Silver Toyota Prius was swept away in a flash flood where a rural road crosses Ivy Creek. A second vehicle also was swept away, but its driver was rescued. The Regional Emergency Operations Center has been activated and a second swift water rescue team from Harrisonburg has responded and is on stand-by after a request for assistance was made to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Emergency officials have been warning not to drive on roads where floodwaters are deep enough to obscure the yellow lines, promoting the hashtag #dontdrownturnaround. 2:40 a.m. Two people are dead in North Carolina after a home they were in collapsed. News outlets report that the Boone Police Department confirmed the deaths. Rescuers responded to the scene about 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The victims have not been identified. Outlets report that the collapse is believed to have been caused by severe weather in the area. Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for his hard-hit mountain counties, saying the forecast for the rest of the week calls for isolated heavy rain storms that could instantly cause flooding in areas that have had 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in the past 15 days. Cooper said, "This storm isn't yet over. I'm urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts."


Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.