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NEWS
Heavy rains lead to flooding, street closures
Driving through floodwater on city streets can be hazardous not only for the driver going through the water, but to nearby motorists on the same road who have their windshield obstructed by heavy splashing.
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HUNTINGTON -- A hammering of heavy rain caused plenty of problems in downtown Huntington on Tuesday.
High water forced the city to close off 5th Avenue at the 24th Street intersection, and close the lower half of 24th Street where it intersects with 3rd Avenue. Traffic was rerouted through an alley and onto Elaine Court, which also was seeing its share of high water.
Water also caused traffic headaches in the city's underpasses, with rising water causing cars to find alternate routes.
Heavy rain forced street closings on 10th Street between 7th and 8th avenues as well. In a separate incident, a large tree was downed near the intersection of 8th Avenue and 13th Street, blocking the road. It was cleaned up within a few hours.
The high water snarled traffic around Huntington, and even kept some from getting to their homes.
"We live right down there," said Robert Eakle, pointing from his car across a gulf of high water to his house on Elaine Court. He said the street will flood when heavy rain hits.
"It usually takes the water a couple of hours to go down," he said.
Thunderstorms pounded the region throughout the afternoon, and the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch that lasted through the evening.
The rain is expected to continue today, with the National Weather Service calling for a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms in the Huntington area, and high temperatures around 88 degrees. The weather is expected to clear for Thursday and Friday, with temperatures creeping into the low 90s. More rain might come by Saturday.
