Philippi has a history of suffering from flooding due to its close proximity to the river and relatively low elevation of most of the town. The most damaging occurred in November of 1985.
Silver Bridge Before Collapse; Point Pleasant, W. Va.
Description:
On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed while it was full rush hour traffic, resulting in the deaths of 46 people. Two of the victims were never found. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eyebar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect 0.1 inches deep. Analysis showed the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it had originally been designed for and was also poorly maintained.