Rains cause flooding in and around Ripley | News, Sports, Jobs – Parkersburg News
Water is shown in a hall at Ripley Elementary School after Wednesday night’s flooding. (Photo Provided)
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RIPLEY — Clean-up kits were being distributed in Jackson County on Thursday after slow-moving storms caused flooding in Ripley and the southern part of the county Wednesday evening.
“It was creeks, streams, absolutely any body of water it could find,” said Montana Boggess, Jackson County 911 director. “The ground’s so wet it couldn’t go anywhere.”
An average of 2.5 inches of rain fell in Jackson County on Wednesday evening, according to Simone Lewis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston.
“(Storms) were rather slow-moving … and dumping out tremendous amounts of rain,” Lewis said.
Virtually every first responder in the county was called out to deal with road damage and mudslides, Boggess said. A post on the Ripley Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page said they had been out on “water rescues, houses off foundation, animal rescues” and that downtown Ripley was impassable at one point.
That was largely due to rain falling faster than the water could drain.
Water was coming up through drains at Ripley Elementary School, Jackson County Schools Superintendent Will Hosaflook said.
“On the back doors, it was about a three-foot mark,” he said. “Almost every classroom had water in it.”
Custodial staff from around the district converged on the school Thursday to begin the cleanup, while specialists will be brought in to determine what else needs to be done, Hosaflook said. Teachers are set to return to the school Wednesday, with the first day of school planned for Aug. 24.
Hosaflook said he believes they will still be able to make that date.
“It’ll take every day to get the school ready,” he said.
The only other place the district had problems was Ripley High School, where water got onto the gymnasium floor. Hosaflook said moisture readings will be taken and the situation monitored.
Boggess said a section of Gay Road off U.S. 33 was washed out when O’Brien Lake spilled from its banks.
“Kenna, Given, all that area was affected pretty hard,” she said.
The Jackson County Commission declared a local state of emergency, in an effort to help expedite assistance from the state, Boggess said.
Lewis said flooding was also reported in Calhoun, Gilmer, Ritchie and Roane counties.
A Calhoun County 911 dispatcher said they had a few roads underwater but no rescues or evacuations.
The National Weather Service predicted today and Saturday will be sunny in Ripley, with a 40% chance of showers on Sunday.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.