Youngkin requests expedited federal help as parts of Southwest Virginia again face catastrophic flooding

See also: Gusty winds break more trees and power lines after days of ice and flooding

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has requested an expedited major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump after a weekend storm brought torrential rain and catastrophic flooding to parts of Southwest Virginia.

Hundreds of roads and bridges are impassable, and homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed, with the worst damage appearing to be in Buchanan, Dickenson and Tazewell counties, all of which remain under local states of emergency. Some areas saw 7 inches of rain fall over the weekend.

“This is the fifth major flood in this area in the past five years and there is significant damage that is affecting community lifelines,” Youngkin said in a news release. “It is critical that we provide relief, and we will certainly take every measure possible to ensure that these areas are able to make a full recovery as quickly as possible.”

More than 150 swift-water rescues, including evacuations, were conducted on Sunday, the release said. Rescue teams from across the state mobilized to help.

On Sunday afternoon, a team based in Bristol said on social media that it had just responded to a call in Scott County, where the crew rescued the occupants of a vehicle that had gone into the water. Overnight in the Richlands area, the same team rescued 51 people, 17 dogs and eight cats.

A team from the Lynchburg Fire Department spent the night searching the Hurley community for anyone stranded by floodwaters but reported it did not have to conduct any rescues. A team from Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, composed of 24 firefighters who are members of the county’s technical rescue team and scuba rescue team, searched a flooded hotel and apartment complex in Grundy, according to social media posts from the department. 

Virginia National Guard troops also have been mobilized to help, the governor’s news release said.

State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington County, said early Sunday that “more than 20 homes” in Dickenson County were “damaged or inaccessible,” but a full damage assessment in that county had not been completed. He said the National Guard was on scene and conducting “active rescues” in Dickenson. For a while on Saturday, the National Guard could not reach Dickenson and had to seek alternative routes into the county.

Dickenson County issued a statement Sunday that said: “Emergency Management and law enforcement continue to report widespread flooding, washed-out roads and bridges, mudslides, dangerous debris in roadways, and significant damage to automobiles and homes. Many roads are completely impassable and have been closed.”

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office advised: “Everyone should stay off the roads until further notice. Multiple roads are blocked by slides.” At one point on Saturday Buchanan County opened a shelter at Grundy Baptist Church but had to close it due to rising waters. The county advised people to seek shelter at Riverview Elementary instead.

On Sunday afternoon, the Buchanan County Public Service Authority issued a boil water notice for the entire county.

A Buchanan County resident posted a video on Facebook that he said showed a smoking propane tank being carried downstream by rushing water. 

Dickenson County has set up a donation center at the Dickenson Center for Education and Research. The county said that “Items needed at this time are cleaning supplies, bottled water, non-perishable food items, and baby items. The list of donations accepted will be updated as we continue to assess the needs of the residents.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.