Governor calls up National Guard troops to aid flood victims in W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The National Guard is helping residents in West Virginia's southern coalfields recover from weekend flooding that closed roads, destroyed at least 100 buildings, knocked out power and flushed trash, debris and, in at least one case, a mobile home downstream.

Gov. Joe Manchin activated 300 Guard troops Sunday on top of the 30 he called up a day before when he declared a state of emergency for five counties, said Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesman Robert Jelacic.

No injuries have been reported and seven miners trapped underground because of high water were able to walk out of the Mountaineer Alma mine near Wharncliffe on Sunday morning, Jelacic said.

Emergency crews, residents and business owners were assessing damage and cleaning up after heavy downpours Friday and Saturday produced several inches of rain.

"We have streams that have all kinds of heavy timbers, logs and trash" blocking the channels, Jelacic said. "That is what caused a lot of the road damage."

Nancy Johnson was helping clean rooms at the Mountain Breeze Motel that is without water. Nearby businesses in Gilbert, a town of about 400, were closed.

"Everybody is just driving around and looking," she said. "Everybody wants to look around."

Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh and Wyoming counties were under the state of emergency. Assessments show Mingo County was the hardest hit by flooding, with about 100 structures destroyed, 500 with major damage and 1,000 with minor damage.

Manchin and U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., were expected to tour the region Sunday. The National Weather Service in Charleston predicted a 20 percent chance of rain into Monday.

In the Midwest, nearly 100,000 customers in Illinois and Missouri were still without electricity, days after a wave of deadly storms socked the region. The storms were blamed for at least seven deaths in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Kansas. Governors of Kentucky, West Virginia and Illinois declared emergencies or disasters in several counties.