Buchanan County Sheriff: No injuries or fatalities reported from flooding

Statement from Buchanan County, VA Sheriff John C. McClanahan: The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its efforts to locate and reunite residents who have been impacted by the sudden flash flooding. At this time, still no fatalities or injuries have been reported in connection with the flooding. Earlier today, we had 44 individuals unaccounted for – meaning family had not been able to make contact with them. The Sheriff’s Office is making progress with locating those individuals. The current/temporary lack of cell service and power, and flooded roads have made it difficult for residents to contact loved ones, which is we are still encouraging people to please call 1-833-748-1424 to report someone who is still unaccounted for due to the flooding, so we can add their name to our search list.
A shelter has been set up at Twin Valley Middle School in Oakwood for residents to seek out a place to stay and for food.
The sheriff’s office began getting reports of flash flooding around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night (July 12, 2022) as the storm dumped several inches of rain in a very short period of time. The calls quickly picked up with more reports of downed trees, flooded roads, and flooded residences across various regions of the county. The most impacted communities have been Whitewood and Pilgrims Knob, due to the Dismal Creek overflowing its banks. Though we do not have a final count or assessment of the damage, as of right now, we estimate approximately 100 to 150 residences have been flooded or washed away.