Greenbrier river flood

Marlinton, WV – It didn’t look like a weather emergency was underway at 9 o’clock Friday morning in Marlinton, with a bright blue sky, warm temperatures, and people out walking about. But the Greenbrier River was still rising slowly, and expected to crest at 2 feet above flood stage sometime around midday.

Minor flooding was already occurring on parts of First, Second, and Third Avenues, and along the south side of town, where Knapps Creek was out of its banks.

County Emergency Services Director Melvin Martin characterized the water problems as a “nuisance flood,” not major like the last big one in 1996, but bad enough that some people were leaving their homes.

The Marlinton Volunteer Fire Department had been out since shortly after one in the morning, according to their fire chief, Dave Peacock, warning people of what was coming.

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