Hurricane Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened to a Category 2 storm before making landfall on Thursday.

The death toll climbed to eight on Wednesday from the devastating flash flooding in West Virginia, the governor said, as the heavy rain threat continues. At least one person in the state is unaccounted for, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. State police are going door-to-door to check on people at impacted homes, he said.

It's been a challenging and heartbreaking few days for West Virginians since deadly flooding devastated many communities. The death toll continues to rise, search and rescue operations are still underway,