BLUEFIELD, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Mercer County areas of Bluefield and Bluewell saw substantial impact from flooding which occurred on Monday following intense rainfall throughout the region.
Notices began being issued early in the day Monday advising residents to limit travel if at all possible due to the immense effect of the ongoing rainfall in the area.
By Monday afternoon, bridges and tunnels could be seen overflowing, streets were being closed off due to the water levels, and vehicles on certain roadways could be seen to have been submerged to the point of being unable to continue traveling.
Reports were also issued of a number of necessary residential evacuations which were initiated throughout the day due to the flooding, with fire & rescue squads having been called upon in several instances in order to evacuate residents, including children and pets, from homes in heavily affected areas.
The flooding resulted in the closure of Bluefield City Park on Monday due to extreme water levels and multiple downed trees. Bluefield City Park will reportedly remain closed from Tuesday, May 30, 2023, through Thursday, June 1, 2023, as damage and the situation as a whole is assessed by officials and a determination is made regarding the operational capacity of the park.
The Midway Tunnel also saw closure on Monday due to the impact, and crews assessing the tunnel provided an estimated reopening time of noon on Tuesday.
Motorists who took to the road in spite of the conditions did so to varying degrees of success, as fire & rescue crews have reported having responded to several MVA situations throughout the day.
One such situation occurred at the Jimmy Lewis/Nemours area and involved a trapped individual inside a vehicle as the vehicle filled with water. Engine 1 and Truck 2 with the Bluewell Fire Department responded in this instance shortly following the alert and were reportedly successful in completion of the rescue.
Another motorist saw their vehicle leave the roadway altogether as the Bluewell Fire Department responded after being advised of a single-vehicle MVA situation. Responding crews discovered a Nissan Frontier truck which had gone off the road and into a pond. BFD were able to clear the scene shortly after arrival, and no injuries were reported to have occurred as a result of the accident.
Fortunately, the storm appears to have subsided at the time of writing, providing a window during which city officials may assess the situation and determine a path forward with regard to residents and businesses impacted by the effects of the intense rainfall and subsequent flooding.