Thousands of motorists were stranded for more than eight hours along a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia early Friday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains blocked a storm drain the previous night, flooding and completely shutting down the northbound lanes.
Traffic backed up for 12 miles along the West Virginia Turnpike about 20 miles south of Charleston, the state capital.
He called it “incredibly unprofessional” for the public to be left in the dark and said it gives West Virginia “a terrible image.”
I have directed the Parkways Authority to immediately conduct an investigation and revise its procedures as necessary as a result of this incident.”
The turnpike shutdown came as much of the Eastern U.S. suffered through days of dangerous heat this week before the latest storms battered West Virginia.
A mudslide from heavy rains the night before blocked a storm drain, flooding and shutting down the northbound lanes on a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia, leaving thousands of drivers stranded for over eight hours early Friday.
The West Virginia Turnpike, located around 20 miles south of the state capital of Charleston, experienced a 12-mile traffic jam. On the mountainous route, many drivers were forced to spend the night in their cars since traffic was not rerouted.
West Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Jennifer Dooley told CBS News that although one lane eventually opened early on Friday morning, traffic remained at a standstill for hours after that.
According to the statement, “Traffic should have been detoured to allow drivers an alternate route around the mudslide,” said Chuck Smith, Executive Director of the Parkways Authority. “The public can be assured that the Parkways Authority will never again fail to reroute traffic, and they accept full responsibility for this.
The Parkways Authority is “examining and revising its policies on Turnpike closures and detours as a result of this incident,” Smith said, adding that no injuries were reported. “.
On social media, drivers expressed that they were unaware of the reason for the halt, that they were without alcohol in their cars, or that their kids needed to use the restroom.
In an interview over the phone, Nicky Walters stated that she felt lucky to be stuck because she was healthy, didn’t require medication, and had no one to take care of.
Walters said, “But I felt desperate because I knew that other people needed help,” after getting stuck on the way back to Charleston from a professional wrestling match in Mount Hope. People needed water bottles and some snacks, at the very least, but not much more information. They required a lifeline to the outside world, but none existed. “.”.
Brittany Lemon and her family had been returning from their vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for twenty-four hours when they finally arrived in Parkersburg.
Lemon claimed in a Facebook video that she was out of water and that her kids needed to go to the restroom. Being stranded on the highway allowed them to sleep for an hour.
“I’ll be ready for an emergency in the car when I return next year,” she stated.
In a Facebook post, former Department of Economic Development cabinet secretary Mitch Carmichael claimed to have been on the turnpike “for hours with no relevant or timely info as to when issue will be cleared.”. “.”.
Leaving the public in the dark, he said, is “incredibly unprofessional” and presents a “dreadful image” of West Virginia. “.
Gov. The shutdown, according to a statement from Patrick Morrisey, “was totally unacceptable.”. Because of this incident, I have instructed the Parkways Authority to launch an investigation right away and make any necessary revisions to its protocols. “.”.
As much of the Eastern U.S. as possible was shut down. A. before the most recent storms pounded West Virginia, endured days of dangerous heat this week. “From ‘dry as a bone to 5 inches’ in 45 minutes this evening in the Elm Grove area,” read the caption of a photo of a measuring tape in floodwaters shared by the state’s Emergency Management Division on Thursday. “,”.
In just 40 minutes, up to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County on June 14, killing nine people, including a 3-year-old.
