MATEWAN — Things were quiet at Matewan High School yesterday.

There were no students walking the hallways, nor were there any in the office.

But, school is back in session in flood-torn Mingo County, despite the lack of students.

“Many of our students have signed out,” Matewan Principal Marcella Charles said Tuesday morning. “We let them know that we’re here and they can come to school.”

On May 9, southern Mingo County received more than four inches of rain in under 24 hours and flash floods washed through the areas of Gilbert, Baisden, Horsepen, Pie, Musick, Varney, Newtown, Rameytown, Delbarton, Belo, Red Jacket, North Matewan and other areas of the county.

Then, on Sunday, the county suffered minor flooding in some communities that had already been hit by the flash flooding.

Charles said the latest round of flooding was preventing some students from returning to school.

“A lot of people got flooded again (on Sunday morning),” Charles said.

Reports from Mingo County officials said flooding damaged several thousand homes and destroyed more than 500 bridges. Several roads were severely damaged, which Dials said contributed to many students being unable to attend school in the Delbarton and Matewan communities.

Taneisha Boring, who was working at Burch High School on Tuesday morning, said school for students ends on Friday.

Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dwight Dials issued a statement on Friday that all schools except Gilbert Elementary and Gilbert High School would reopen on Monday.

Schools had been closed since the May 9 flood ravaged much of southern West Virginia. Only Williamson- and Tug Valley-area schools reopened after the flood since those areas were not hit with major flooding.

Gilbert Elementary School was hit hard and was swamped under thick mud inside and out.

Gilbert High School was also awash with water, mud and debris.

Both schools are currently undergoing a cleanup effort so they can reopen in the fall.

Gilbert High School was able to hold its graduation in the gymnasium after it was cleaned and several areas of the floor were cut away and replaced with plywood.

Matewan High School and Burch High School did not suffer any flooding inside the buildings, but the homes of several students were damaged or destroyed by the flooding. Dials said that prevented many students from attending schools in those areas because they had no way out of their hollows or across creeks and many were still cleaning up after the flooding.