MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said at a press conference on Friday that 14 individuals had been confirmed dead amid massive flash floods in the US state.
West Virginia's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management later said as cited by NBC that the death toll had climbed to at least 23 by Friday night.
Up to ten inches of rain fell in West Virginia within seven hours on Thursday.
Tomblin said that the flooding was "among the worst in a century for some parts of the state."
West Virginia authorities declared a state of emergency for 44 counties on Thursday and deployed 150 members of the National Guard to assist first responders.
At least 100 homes have been damaged by the floods.
