Storm Spawns Appalachian Floods; 11 Dead

Thousands of people were kept from their homes, and at least five towns were isolated by floodwaters today in the central Appalachians after a powerful storm. Officials said at least 11 people were killed and others are missing.

The remnants of Hurricane Juan spawned flooding described as the worst ever in parts of West Virginia, along with torrential rain and floods in Virginia and damaging tornadoes in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It also blanketed parts of the Smoky Mountains with snow.

The storm, which pounded the Appalachians on Monday and early today, was moving northward from the drenched New York metropolitan area, where thousands lost electricity. The large low-pressure system spread rain from the upper Ohio Valley to New England, and gale warnings were posted along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Maine.

Canaan Valley, W.Va., was deluged with 8 inches of rain in the 24 hours ending at at 7 a.m. today, while Cape Hatteras, N.C., received more than 6 inches and Erie, Pa., had 3 1/2 inches in the same period.

“It’s certainly, in terms of its widespread nature, got to rank as the worst flooding disaster West Virginia has ever had,” said John Price, press secretary for West Virginia Gov. Arch Moore.

State of Emergency

Gov. Charles S. Robb declared a state of emergency in western and central Virginia, where at least 11 people died.

Officials said the dead were three in Roanoke County, three in Rockingham County, two in Roanoke, one each in Franklin and Botetourt counties and a Newport News fisherman. The Franklin County fatality was caused when a car struck a tree that washed onto U.S. 220. Many of the others drowned.

In northern and central West Virginia, Moore mobilized the National Guard in four counties where, he said, “in excess of several thousand” people had fled their homes. He appealed to President Reagan to designate 33 counties a federal disaster area.

Monday’s damage, Page 4.