Where is Buchanan County, Virginia?

Officials in southwestern Virginia said Wednesday that heavy rains caused devastating flooding in Buchanan County, leaving dozens of people missing and more than 100 homes damaged.

Buchanan County is located in far western Virginia, the only Virginia county to border both West Virginia and Kentucky. The county is part of the Southwest Virginia region and lies in the rugged Appalachian Plateau portion of the Appalachian Mountains.

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First responders, including swift water rescue teams, from across southwest and central Virginia headed to the area as water levels rose.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service office in Charleston, West Virginia, issued a flash flood warning lasting into early Wednesday for parts of West Virginia and Virginia.

Gov. Glenn Younkin declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to respond to the severe flooding. 

“This does not mean the person is missing, it means we are attempting to reach and locate the person and check on their wellbeing,” Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eric Breeding said in a post on social media.

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Billy Chrimes, search and rescue specialist from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said the storm caused “significant flooding” and damage to a “well over 100” homes. 

Landslides and road conditions in the area were creating obstacles for the search and rescue teams that responded to the flooding.

The flooding also leval roads, according to a friend.

“We are making every resource available to help those impacted,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said. “While rescue and recovery operations continue, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy.”

The latest incident comes less than a year after Buchanan County suffered serious flooding damage. The remnants of a hurricane hit the area in September 2021. 

Crews with Bedford County’s Special Operations Command, Roanoke County Fire and Rescue and the Lynchburg Fire Department, as well as Roanoke Fire-EMS and the City of Salem, left for Buchanan County to assist with heavy flooding.