Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Sunday declared a State of Emergency in Ohio County due to flash-flooding that swept through Triadelphia, Valley Grove, Elm Grove and parts of the Woodsdale neighborhood late Saturday evening.

While that’s the official designation necessary to allow for help from the state, it falls so far short of truly describing and understanding the total devastation area residents and businesses experienced.

∫ Five confirmed dead and four others still reported missing.

∫ Dozens of cars damaged or destroyed.

∫ Homes damaged and even destroyed as they were swept off their foundations.

∫ A number of local businesses damaged or destroyed.

∫ Portions of Elm Grove mostly cut off as two of the three bridges that cross Wheeling Creek into the neighborhood’s business district — the Junior Avenue and Shilling Bridge — remain closed until they can be further inspected for structural integrity.

∫ Mud caked to everything — basement walls, vehicles, roadways, foundations.

∫ Property damage that easily will reach into the tens of millions of dollars to fully recover.

∫ And, again at least five lives lost and four others still missing.

It’s hard to comprehend how, in what the National Weather Service said was about a 30-minute downpour where between 3 and 4 inches of rain fell, that much damage could result. At some point in the near future, there needs to be a determination as to how this happened. But that time is not now. For now, the focus needs to be on getting the help and support needed to those impacted by the flooding.

A number of businesses early Sunday morning began collecting donations. The Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency had set up a command center in the Elm Grove Crossing Mall (it has since moved to the former Armory in Clator). The American Red Cross is ready to help. The governor also is mobilizing the West Virginia National Guard to provide assistance.

Offering real help in a time of need is something folks here do very well. An emergency shelter was opened late Saturday at Elm Grove Elementary School. Volunteers were arriving throughout the day Sunday offering to help. Some brought heavy equipment; others came with gloves and garbage bags. Folks worked alongside West Virginia Division of Highways workers to clear debris from National Road through Triadelphia. Their efforts and assistance are admirable.

Then there are the first responders. What can be said about the life-saving efforts they made? Firefighters from the Wheeling Fire Department, Triadelphia and Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Departments, and other agencies deserve so much credit for their efforts. There were numerous swift-water rescues from trapped vehicles. People were rescued from where they took shelter in trees to get out of the rising water. Residents trapped in their homes as the creek rose so quickly were rescued and transported to safety. Our first-responders are true heroes. What those affected need now is your support. Give them the space to clean up. If you don’t have a reason to be there, don’t visit. Be respectful of those who’ve been impacted. And continue to keep them in your thoughts.