Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 167, NWS Charleston, WV

December 30, 19904 counties in West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Dec 30, 1990, 8:30 PM EST for 4 counties in West Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 30, 1990, 8:30 PM EST (01:30 UTC)
Expired
Dec 30, 1990, 11:30 PM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Harrison County, WV, Marion County, WV, Monongalia County, WV, Taylor County, WV

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 108 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1990-12-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1990-12-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 513 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
81 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
513 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
498 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KEKN 310130
FFWEKN
MDC023-WVC001-033-041-049-061-077-091-310430-
 
BULLETIN - BROADCAST IMMEDIATELY
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
830 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST MARYLAND
 
   ...GARRETT COUNTY
 
 
IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...BARBOUR COUNTY...HARRISON COUNTY...LEWIS COUNTY...MARION COUNTY
   ...MONONGALIA COUNTY...PRESTON COUNTY...TAYLOR COUNTY
 
RAINFALL REPORTS SHOW THAT UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE
ABOVE NAMED COUNTIES IN THE PAST 12 HOURS. NATIONAL WEATHER RADARS
SHOW MODERATE RAIN NOW OVER OR MOVING INTO THESE COUNTIES.
 
THE GROUND IS SATURATED, AND STREAMS ARE NEAR BANKFULL. THE ADDITIONAL
RAIN WILL CAUSE MANY SMALL STREAMS TO EXCEED BANKFULL.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
HILL/VENITSANOS
 
NNNN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 30, 3:24 PM EST, 5 hours 6 minutes before
WVZ006>008-302100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
320 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST
VIRGINIA...

AT 315 WEATHER RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
THAT EXTENDED FROM SUTTON IN BRAXTON COUNTY TO NEAR GAULEY BRIDGE IN
FAYETTE COUNTY ON INTO BOONE COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST OF THE RAIN WAS LOCATED
OVER EASTERN KANAWAHA COUNTY NORTHEAST INTO CLAY COUNTY.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT AROUND 40 MPH AND COULD PRODUCE BRIEF
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WIND. SOME MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS
AND RAODWAYS MAY ALSO OCCURE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

END/BRAMBLE
Special weather statement, Dec 30, 3:50 PM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes before
KYZ006-OHZ008-009-WVZ003-302315

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
345 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...FLOOD WATCH FOR WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA UNTIL 8:00 PM TONIGHT...
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNTIL 10:30 PM
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

ALL SMALL STREAMS ARE RUNNING AT HALF TO NEAR BANK FULL.
AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN COVER THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY.
POSSIBLY UP TO A HALF INCH MORE OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.
THIS RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE PROBLEMS OF RISING STREAMS
DUE TO THE SATURATED GROUND.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS AS YOUR VEHICLE COULD
BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE FORCE OF EVEN SHALLOW WATER.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

COSTELLO
Special weather statement, Dec 30, 5:59 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
WVZ006>008-310100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
600 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS...AND THE GREENBRIER VALLEY UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND A FLOOOD WATCH
IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST COAL FIELD UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 550 WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDING FROM WESTERN
NICHOLAS COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH WESTERN FAYETTE...SOUTHERN KANAWHA...
SOUTHEASTERN BOONE...NORTHWEST RALEIGH...SOUTHERN LOGAN AND SOUTHERN
MINGO COUNTIES.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL PRODUCE
BRIEF VER.Y HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SOME MINOR FLOODING OF
SMALL STREAMS AND RAODWAYS MAY OCCUR AS THEY MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA.
END/FUNDERBURK
Special weather statement, Dec 30, 6:12 PM EST, 2 hours 18 minutes before
WVZ006>008-310100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
600 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS...AND THE GREENBRIER VALLEY UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND A FLOOD WATCH
IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST COAL FIELD UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 550 WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDING FROM WESTERN
NICHOLAS COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH WESTERN FAYETTE...SOUTHERN KANAWHA...
SOUTHEASTERN BOONE...NORTHWEST RALEIGH...SOUTHERN LOGAN AND SOUTHERN
MINGO COUNTIES.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL PRODUCE
BRIEF VERY; HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SOME MINOR FLOODING OF
SMALL STREAMS AND ROADWAYS MAY OCCUR AS THEY MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA.
END/FUNDERBURK
Special weather statement, Dec 30, 8:13 PM EST, 17 minutes before
WVZ006>008-310300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
810 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AND THE GREENBRIER VALLEY UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 805 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED AN AREA OF LIGHT RAIN
WITH PATCHES OF MODERATE RAIN COVERING THE SOUTHERN HALF OF WEST VIRGINIA.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN FELL AT THE AIRPORT IN BECKLEY BETWEEN 630 AND 730 PM.
THE GROUND HAS BEEN SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT SO MINOR
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND ROADWAYS MAY OCCUR AS THE RAIN CONTINUES FOR
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

PERSONS LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS OR IN NORNAL FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD
LISTEN FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

END/FUNDERBURK
Special weather statement, Dec 30, 8:24 PM EST, 6 minutes before
WVZ006>008-310300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
810 PM EST SUN DEC 30 1990

...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AND THE GREENBRIER VALLEY...

AT 805 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED AN AREA OF LIGHT RAIN
WITH PATCHES OF MODERATE RAIN COVERING THE SOUTHERN HALF OF WEST VIRGINIA.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN FELL AT THE AIRPORT IN BECKLEY BETWEEN 630 AND 730 PM.
THE GROUND HAS BEEN SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT SO MINOR
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND ROADWAYS MAY OCCUR AS THE RAIN CONTINUES FOR
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

PERSONS LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS OR IN NORNAL FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD
LISTEN FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

END/FUNDERBURK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 30, 7:06 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXRandolph, Tucker, Upshur3 hr
Dec 30, 8:30 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXBarbour, Preston3 hr
Dec 30, 8:30 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXLewis3 hr
Dec 30, 8:48 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXRaleigh117 min
Dec 30, 10:43 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXGreenbrier2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.