Photo Provided by Tom Hart Mud and debris on Boggs Run Road in Benwood following flash flooding in the area on Thursday night.

Ohio County was hit with another round of flash flooding Thursday night, as well as Benwood in Marshall County. Both areas received approximately 3 inches of water in less than an hour beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The hardest hit areas in Wheeling included Bethlehem, Elm Grove and Triadelphia. Benwood was the main area impacted in Marshall County, and Boggs Run and Benwood Hill roads were closed Thursday night.

Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo reported there were no injuries or fatalities from the flash flooding. He said drains clogging in the city due to debris from the rainfall had a “major impact” on water accumulation in certain areas of the city, including the Elm Terrace Shopping Center and National Road in front of Lou W. Nau Inc.

“What happened was we had 2.8 inches of rain in less than an hour, and the surface couldn’t handle it, so we had debris coming,” Vargo said. “There was also a lot of runoff from hillsides again.”

Vargo reported that several roads closed Thursday night due to the flooding received additional damage. This includes Falls Drive, which was open on Friday, and Dixon Run Road, which remains closed as of Friday.

“Most of the road closures were due to water on the roads, which has now subsided,” Vargo noted. “At this point, it’s just getting the roads cleaned up and any debris off of them.”

The Ohio County EMA began performing damage assessments for areas impacted by the flooding on Friday.

City crews in Wheeling began cleaning mud, debris and rocks from impacted streets the morning after the flash flooding.

Vargo said the additional flash flooding would not impact the ongoing cleanup from the flash flooding on Saturday, June 14, in Triadelphia and Valley Grove. He reported that the National Guard, which is assisting in the June 14 cleanup, was downzoning on Friday. Two teams remain in Ohio County for the cleanup.

“This flooding was more of a city event, and public works is doing a great job,” Vargo said. “They’ll continue to get the city streets cleaned up.”

Wheeling police spokesman Philip Stahl said impacted residents can leave debris from homes on the curbside for operations workers to collect. Those affected by Thursday night’s flooding can pick up flood clean-up supplies at Wheeling University’s McDonough Center or Wheeling Fire Station 11 in Elm Grove.

“Instead of creating a whole new flood relief center, we are shipping some items to Station 11 because there were some homes that were hit in Bethlehem and Elm Grove,” Stahl said. “That will make it a little bit easier to pick up cleanup teams out of there.”

Stahl advises residents to remove mud and water “as quickly as they can” and sanitize with bleach. The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department has tetanus shots available at its building on 1500 Chapline Street.

Anyone who needs assistance cleaning basements or flooded impacted areas can call 211. Wheeling residents who need basements pumped can call 304-234-3711. Questions for Emergency Management can be directed to 304-234-3756.

“There were little pockets of water everywhere in Wheeling, so if people got water, we’re here to answer questions and try to take care of it as best as we can,” Stahl said.

Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Hart reported that Boggs Run and Benwood Hill roads were the two areas most impacted in Marshall County on Thursday. He said Boggs Run creek came out of its banks “very quickly,” resulting in a large amount of roadway flooding.

Hart said there was no significant damage from the flooding, as the Benwood Public Works Department was able to clean up the roads once the water receded.

“We had to close those roads to get debris off them, and we had a lot of trees come down,” Hart said. “There was a lot of dirt and gravel that had to be removed from the roadways, too.”

Vargo and Hart advise residents to keep an eye on the local weather forecast and severe weather updates in case more flooding hits the area over the weekend. If more flooding occurs, Hart said residents should avoid areas of flash flooding and refrain from driving through floodwaters.

“Everybody needs to be watching the local weather forecast and be sure to heed any warning or alerts that come out regarding flash flooding,” Hart added.