West Virginia Floods: Death Toll Rises to 23 in Severe Flooding [PHOTOS]

Updated June 24 at 11:55 p.m.

The death toll in the West Virginia flooding has risen to 23, the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a news release. Officials will provide additional details about the response and rescue efforts Saturday morning.

Updated June 24 at 6:05 p.m.

Officials have confirmed to ABC and NBC News that the death toll in the West Virginia flooding has risen to 20.

Updated June 24 at 5:45 p.m.

At least 18 people have been killed in West Virginia as a powerful storm hit the state Thursday leading to widespread flooding across the area.

In a Friday afternoon press conference, Gov. Earl Tomblin told reporters there were 14 confirmed fatalities as a result of the flooding. Officials had earlier said three people were killed in Kanawha County and a fourth fatality was reported in Ohio County. A search for a 4-year-old boy in Jackson County swept away by flood waters ended Friday morning when first responders recovered the child's body around 11:30 a.m., the Associated Press reported.

The AP reported local sheriffs and rescue workers had confirmed four other fatalities that have not been included in the state's official tally.

More than 100 homes have been seriously damaged or destroyed by the flooding, Tomblin said. Electric companies are working to restore power, and the most current estimates show at least 66,000 people in the state without electricity. Natural gas has been shut off in some areas, and authorities are working to remove downed trees from the streets. Tomblin said the focus remains on search-and-rescue efforts and said he has authorized 500 members of the state's national guard to assist.

The state had been dealing with severe weather that began earlier this week. The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in Nicholas County on Tuesday and lifted back up in Greenbier County. Downed trees and wires were reported as a result of the tornado, but there were no injuries or fatalities.

Tomblin had declared a state of emergency in 44 counties by Thursday evening in anticipation of severe weather and had authorized 150 members of the state's national guard to assist local emergency responders. Greenbier, Kanawha, Nicholas and Webster counties were the worst hit by the flooding.

“The flooding we experienced Thursday and into today is among the worst in a century for some parts of the state,” Tomblin said in a statement.

In a weather update Friday morning, the NWS said "large river flooding" is expected to continue until at least Saturday morning. As the low pressure system exits the area, there remains a small chance for showers and thunderstorms on Friday. The weekend forecast calls for warm weather with a slight possibility of thunderstorms Sunday night.

Rain totals in the state for a 48-hour period ranged up to 10 inches near the Virginia border, with most of the rain said to have fallen in just a few hours.

Water rescues were reported in the state with 500 people waiting to be rescued in Elkview after a bridge collapsed, WSAZ reported. In Kanawha County, at least 70 people were rescued, ABC reported. The Greenbier, a golf course scheduled to host a PGA event in July, was completely covered by flood waters.

Updates on road closures can be found on the West Virginia 511 Twitter account. There are currently 60 road closures, and the number is expected to grow.

Image via Sen. Joe Manchin (Flood damage in Elkview, West Virgina)