West Virginia National Guard Surges to 500 Troops as Governor Warns of Possible Fatalities in Flash Floods

West Virginia's National Guard deployment jumped from roughly 100 to 500 troops in 24 hours after flash flooding that began July 18 cut off communities across all 55 counties. Governor Morrisey said July 23 the state remains in a "phase of search and rescue," with officials "concerned about fatalities" but unable to provide a count of people unaccounted for.