Historic flooding taking place on the New River

GLEN LYN, VA (WVNS) – There has been historic flooding in parts of southern West Virginia and into Virginia, including along the New River.

Areas along the New River above the Bluestone Dam are experiencing significant flooding. It has already reached its crest and is falling. A crest is when the water flow reaches its highest point.

Stacie Hanes, the lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Blacksburg gave her predictions regarding the New River.

“So, what you are seeing right now is the worst that [it is] going to get. It will take a little bit of time for them to come back down,” said Hanes.

The New River begins at Blowing Rock, North Carolina and flows up through West Virginia. North Carolina was one of the states impacted the most by Hurricane Helene. This flooding is a result of the rainfall they received.

Haynes issued a word of warning as the water levels begin to drop.

“There are a lot of flooded rivers, creeks, and streams in low-lying areas and flood locations. A lot of those locations are still under water. It is still dangerous to cross any water that you cannot see the depth of, because you do not know if the road is washed out. We are just urging people to take caution and avoid driving in those locations,” said Hanes.

Many citizens of the Mountain State are still suffering from flooding and power outages. As the days go by, it is unknown so far what the lasting impact of these storms could be.

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