Eastern Panhandle flooding still affecting roads, residents

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The rain has stopped, but flooded roads and other high-water-related problems remained an issue Monday in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Most of the rain subsided by Monday morning, but Berkeley County, W.Va., received 4.19 inches in 72 hours over the weekend, according to Kyle Pallozzi, a meterologist with the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Va.

The town of Bardane in Jefferson County, W.Va., received about 6 inches during the same period, he said.

Some commuters found it hard to get to work Monday morning, and even schoolchildren were affected by the flooding that occurred across the Eastern Panhandle.

Martinsburg resident Christy Santana kept a close eye on the rising water at U.S. 11 and Berkeley Station Road.

It was an annoyance because the deep water made it difficult for her and her neighbors to go out, she said.

It also was almost comical to see how some other people reacted to the flooded roadway, using everything from a canoe to a colorful float that looked like a dragon to get around, Santana said.

Later Sunday night, other people had canoes, a raft and even a grill in water at a local business, she said.

What upset her the most was seeing drivers disregard "road-closed" signs to go through the rising water, with some of them getting stuck and needing assistance getting out, she said.

Eddie Gochenour, director of Berkeley County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Monday afternoon that several area roads either still have water running across them or remain flooded.

"We have a long way to go before we will be back to anything even closely resembling normal," he said.

U.S. 11 near Berkeley Station Road still was under about 2 feet of water and closed Monday afternoon, Gochenour said.

"That area does tend to flood, but I have to say this is the worst I've seen it. There is still a lot of water there, and that's after it's gone down some," he said.

Douglas Grove Road off U.S. 9 also was closed Monday after having been under water since Sunday, Gochenour said.

Grapevine and Golf Course roads also remained closed Monday, and that made it harder for some people, "especially people who were trying to get to work at the (Martinsburg) Veterans Administration (Medical Center)," he said.

Conditions in some spots along Opequon Creek were getting worse Monday, he said.

The Scrabble Road and Mouth of Opequon intersection was flooding and under about 8 inches of water Monday afternoon.

The creek is under a flood warning until Tuesday at 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

It crested at 12.89 feet, or moderate flood stage, on Monday morning and its waters were expected to continue receding.

Public schools in Berkeley and Morgan counties operated on a two-hour delay Monday.

Officials with Berkeley County Schools notified parents Sunday night to use their own discretion in deciding whether to send students to school. Schools officials also said it might be necessary to move bus stops and use alternate routes.

Morgan County received about 4 inches of rain over the weekend, but less than a half-dozen roads remained closed Monday morning.

Closed roads typically were near low-water bridges, said Dick Myers, director of Morgan County Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

There was only one water rescue during the flooding, he said.

"We had one issue where we had to get someone out of a waterway because they tried to cross where water was over a bridge," he said. "And it kept rising from the time they actually stalled out, so they needed help."

The number of rescues from the weekend flooding was down significantly from the flooding in June, when there were 11 water rescues, Myers said.

Conditions were improving in Jefferson County by Monday afternoon, and the only closed road was River Road near Shepherdstown, W.Va., according to the county's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Facebook page.

A sinkhole on Sulpher Springs Road was covered with a metal plate, and the road was reopened to traffic.

Steve Allen, Jefferson County's emergency manager, said the county received 4 to 6 inches of rain over the weekend, and also confirmed one spot in the Kearneysville area received between 5 and 6 inches.

Pennsylvania

Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania haven't received reports of emergencies from the flooding, but had several road closures because of the amount of rain received north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

As of Monday afternoon, two roads remained closed — Mount Pleasant Road near Conococheague Creek between Ritchey and Brookens roads in Greene Township, Pa., and Dublin Mills Road from Waterfall Road to the Huntingdon County line in Taylor Township, Pa.

During the weekend rain, Loop Road in Guilford Township, Pa., and Mongul Road in Lurgan Township, Pa., were closed for a time in Franklin County. Parts of Pa. 655 in Fulton County also were closed, but have reopened.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation advises motorists to use caution while traveling during heavy rains. Drivers are urged to be alert to water on roadways, obey warning signs and traffic-control devices, and never drive through flooding or standing water on roads.