Resident paddles kayak through Clendenin flood waters

CLENDENIN, WV (WOWK) – Only 10 days after our region was struck by massive storms, including a record number of tornadoes, recovery efforts are being pushed back due to more severe weather.

Severe storms Thursday evening brought flash flooding as rivers and creeks flowed out of their banks. Many neighborhoods took a lot of damage from the rushing waters, and the Kanawha County Commission has opened a survey for residents to report damage .

However, in Clendenin, one neighbor took advantage of the rising waters by paddling through in a kayak. A viewer shared a photo of the resident paddling through town on Friday.

First responders still urge caution around high water, and remind drivers to ‘turn around, don’t drown’ when encountering water over the road.

Kanawha County dispatchers told WOWK 13 News that on Thursday night, they took 70 water rescue calls. They said not all of the calls ended up being actual “rescues,” and the vast majority of those calls involved people trying to drive through high water. They also received 130 high water calls, several of which were just water over the road or other high water situations where people were not in any immediate danger.

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