BARBOUR COUNTY, W.Va. –Rainy conditions in the Mountain State are expected to subside after six days of continuous rainfall across West Virginia.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch and a flood watch for most of the state as rain continued moving across the region.

NWS Meteorologist Tom Mazza said north-central West Virginia counties—including Wirt, Calhoun, Lewis, and Barbour—were hit hardest by rain showers throughout the day.

“That whole stretch just south of Clarksburg, Clarksburg got a little flooding too, but that area did get hit with the flooding, along with tree damage, so severe thunderstorms there as well,” Mazza said.

In Jane Lew, located in Lewis County, West Virginia, the town hall posted on Facebook that the town park will be closed due to flooding. Officials said it will remain closed until they can assess the damage caused by the flooding.

In Harrison County, the town of Lost Creek also experienced heavy rain and flooding.

Barbour County Emergency Manager Corey Brandon said they received several rounds of heavy rain throughout the day Wednesday.

He said this caused flooding in areas that typically experience flooding during heavy rain events.

“Which resulted in a lot of water getting out of the ditch line, and also our streams and creeks getting out of their ditch lines and causing a lot of problems for a lot of low-lying areas,” Brandon said.

He said they saw a lot of rain in the Clemtown, Moatsville, and Nestorville areas, which they hadn’t seen since 2018.

Brandon said they also had to relocate an elderly woman because rising water was nearly blocking the only access road to her home.

“She had some mobility issues, so the fire department requested that we get her out of the house just in case something were to happen overnight and weren’t able to get to her after that point,” he said.

Brandon said emergency services and the Philippi Fire Department were able to reach her and relocate her to a hotel until the water recedes.

He said that while crews were assisting the woman at her home, areas they typically monitor were beginning to recede.

Brandon said officials are now monitoring local rivers to ensure they do not rise out of their banks.

“Now were anxiously awaiting for the streams and creeks to subside and now we’ll be watching the local rivers to make sure that they stay in their banks as well,” he said.

said that after the rain seen since last Thursday, the region should experience a brief dry spell.

“Leftover showers in the morning (Thursday), clouds and fog, with a gradual clearing during the day Thursday, then it looks like we have several days of nice weather, seasonal spring weather to allow us to dry out,” he said.

With a little more than two weeks until the first FIFA World Cup match in Dallas, local and federal law enforcement agencies announced Wednesday the conclusion of a major operation targeting organized crime in North Texas.

Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, FBI Dallas, Dallas police, Frisco police and other agencies said Operation Red Card focused on violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking networks ahead of the international tournament.

Officials said the operation lasted about 10 weeks and involved efforts to seize drugs and firearms, arrest offenders and disrupt criminal activity.

“It is evident that this operation has been an extraordinary success leading up to the FIFA World Cup,” said Ryan Raybould, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

Raybould said the operation resulted in about 250 indictments.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux praised the coordination between local and federal agencies.

“Right here, this is what right looks like. Us, working together to keep everyone safe in Dallas,” Comeaux said. “I love working with my federal partners and U.S. Attorney’s Office for us to continue to keep everyone safe in Dallas.”

Comeaux said fugitive operations tied to the U.S. Marshals Task Force have led to more than 1,300 arrests involving felony warrants.

“We’re over 1300 arrests of individuals that don’t belong on the streets because of felony warrants,” he said.

The chief also discussed the department’s drone program and preparations underway before the first World Cup match.

“We’re trying to get everything set up before the first game. It’s a lot of moving hands when it comes to that,” Comeaux said. “Right now, we have eight drone docking stations up. And we are using them now when it comes to first responders.”

“And listen, when those drones are up, you can see clearly different criminal activities that are taking place,” he added.

Federal enforcement operations have faced scrutiny nationwide in recent months. Raybould addressed questions about balancing heightened security with maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

“They are vigorously enforcing the law but they’re also great men and women that are representatives of the institution that they represent, and they do ton of outreach events, they do reentry events,” Raybould said. “So that’s their job. I expect that to continue.”

Jake Holmes, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, also addressed immigration enforcement and drug trafficking investigations.

“Tackling illegal immigration and tackling drug trafficking are really one in the same fight,” Holmes said. “Multiple drug houses, based on intelligence we received, revealed that networks of people in the United States are leveraging their connection back in their home countries.”

Joseph Rothrock, FBI special agent in charge, said officials used security planning from previous Super Bowls as a reference point for the World Cup, though he noted the scale of the tournament is much larger.

“Here in Dallas, that’ll be more matches than any other host city in the United States,” Rothrock said. “As far as comparing this World Cup to previous World Cups, it really doesn’t compare. It’s the first time that we’ve seen the World Cup hosted in three different countries.”

Raybould said Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative focused on reducing violent crime through partnerships with local agencies, will continue beyond the World Cup. He said the program has been in place for 20 years and uses local crime data to identify areas needing additional enforcement resources.

Elevated E. coli levels along parts of the Chattahoochee River are forcing some businesses to temporarily shut down operations as officials continue monitoring unsafe water conditions following days of heavy rain.

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper says spikes in bacteria levels after storms are common, but experts say the duration of the current contamination event is unusual.

“Typically we have a 24-hour period after a rain event where the river might look a little brown and have some elevated levels,” said Britt Oxford, general manager of Atlanta operations for Nantahala Outdoor Center. “But right now, with continuous rain for almost five days now, it’s just kind of held on and staying elevated.”

Oxford said prolonged rain combined with ongoing drought conditions have contributed to the lingering contamination, adding that he hasn’t seen levels stay elevated this long since Hurricane Helene.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey measured E. coli levels as high as 2,500. Water is generally considered unsafe for recreation when levels exceed 235.

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper says elevated bacteria levels have stretched across parts of Fulton, Cobb, Forsyth and Gwinnett counties, impacting an estimated 20 businesses along the river.

Health experts warn that exposure to contaminated water can cause symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and infections.

Despite the warnings, some people were still spotted near the river Wednesday.

“I mean, we’re pretty much in the summer weather and I know I’ve seen folks near the water wanting to go fish, treat it like a beach or a pool,” said Annabelle Ombac, who was hiking near Nantahala Outdoor Center’s Powers Island outpost.

Oxford said the prolonged contamination is affecting both businesses and longtime Atlanta traditions centered around the river.

“The thing that’s heartbreaking for me is we are the gateway for people to access the river,” Oxford said. “They’re not able to access the river. And it’s kind of a tradition a lot of people have in the city.”

Josh Schulman, who was running along the river Wednesday, said access to the Chattahoochee is one of the metro area’s defining features.

“Having the Chattahoochee here is a treat,” Schulman said. “It’s a gift to be able to have this as part of a major metro area.”

Oxford said river conditions should improve roughly a day after the rain clears, but until then, businesses will continue monitoring water quality and adjusting operations accordingly.