Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all 55 West Virginia counties August 18 after slow-moving storms produced excessive rainfall over several days.
The August 16-18 systems caused flash flooding, mudslides and damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure and essential services in multiple communities. The declaration gave emergency responders, agencies and local officials added flexibility to move resources.
Lewis County was included even as it continued recovering from the July disaster. Residents were urged to treat new warnings seriously because saturated ground and damaged infrastructure can make later storms more dangerous.