Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Charleston, WV

June 15, 1990Tyler County, Wetzel County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jun 15, 1990, 12:57 AM EDT for Tyler County, Wetzel County, West Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 15, 1990, 12:57 AM EDT (04:57 UTC)
Expired
Jun 15, 1990, 5:00 AM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Tyler County, WV, Wetzel 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, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 112 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 1990-06-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 567 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1990-06-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -38 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1165 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCRW 150505 COR
FFWCRW
WVC095-103-150900-


SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1257 AM EDT FRI JUN 15 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...S...

IN NORTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA

   ...TYLER COUNTY...WETZEL COUNTY

HEAVY RAIN MOVED OVER WETZEL AND TYLER COUNTIES DURING THE LAST 2 TO 3
HOURS AND SEVERAL SMALL STREAMS HAVE COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS. FLOODING
WAS REPORTED ALONG DOOLIN RUN THAT FLOWS INTO NEW MARTINSVILLE FROM
THE EAST. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
COUNTIES...RUNOFF FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING FOR THE
NEXT FEW HOURS.


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 G`ROUND.

END/ZINN

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, Jun 14, 8:26 PM EDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before
WVZ005-008-009-010-011-MDZ008-009-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
825 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 815 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA NEAR AND MAINLY SOUTH OF PITTSBURG EXTENDING SOUTHWEST
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND ON SOUTHWEST TO
EAST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30
TO 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED IN A LARGE AREA
OF RAIN AND SHOWERS WHICH COVERED MUCH OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA..THE
NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA..MUCH OF THE EASTERN HALF AND
SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO..NORTHERN AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND EXTREME
WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA FROM SISTERSVILLE SOUTHWEST TO POINT PLEASANT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOSTLY LIKELY ENTER THE NORTH CENTRAL
COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUES TO ONE HOUR. THE
ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST..AFFECTING THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS, THE GREENBRIER VALLEY, THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN MARYLAND TONIGHT.

SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAINS AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH..HOWEVER LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS WILL LIKELY
CONTINUE AS THE ASSOCIATED AREA OF RAIN MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
AREA. IF HEAVY RAINS PERSIST OVER AN AREA FOR A LONG DURATION..
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS OR POOR DRAINAGE AREAS COULD
OCCUR.

PERSONS LIVING IN OR TRAVELING THROUGH NORTHERN AND EASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA AND WESTERN MARYLAND..SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT FOR STRONG
GUSTY WINDS..PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AND
POSSIBLE HAIL IN AND NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. IF YOU LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A
SMALL STREAM OR CREEK OR IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO RAPID FLOODING..KEEP
A CLOSE WATCH ON WATER LEVELS IN YOUR AREA.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF
HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS AND FLOODING IS OBSERVED..MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER AND/OR FLOODING TO THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCASTS FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

END/FERRELL
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 8:35 PM EDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before
WVZ005-008-009-010-011-MDZ008-009-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
825 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 815 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA NEAR AND MAINLY SOUTH OF PITTSBURG EXTENDING SOUTHWEST
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND ON SOUTHWEST TO
EAST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30
TO 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED IN A LARGE AREA
OF RAIN AND SHOWERS WHICH COVERED MUCH OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA..THE
NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA..MUCH OF THE EASTERN HALF AND
SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO..NORTHERN AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND EXTREME
WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA FROM SISTERSVILLE SOUTHWEST TO POINT PLEASANT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOST LIKELY ENTER THE NORTH CENTRAL
COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUES TO ONE HOUR. THE
ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST..AFFECTING THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS, THE GREENBRIER VALLEY, THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN MARYLAND TONIGHT.

SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY RAINS AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH..HOWEVER LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS WILL LIKELY
CONTINUE AS THE ASSOCIATED AREA OF RAIN MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
AREA. IF HEAVY RAINS PERSIST OVER AN AREA FOR A LONG DURATION..
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS OR POOR DRAINAGE AREAS COULD
OCCUR.

PERSONS LIVING IN OR TRAVELING THROUGH NORTHERN AND EASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA AND WESTERN MARYLAND..SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT FOR STRONG
GUSTY WINDS..PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AND
POSSIBLE HAIL IN AND NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. IF YOU LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A
SMALL STREAM OR CREEK OR IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO RAPID FLOODING..KEEP
A CLOSE WATCH ON WATER LEVELS IN YOUR AREA.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF
HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS AND FLOODING IS OBSERVED..MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER AND/OR FLOODING TO THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCASTS FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

END/FERRELL
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 9:19 PM EDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before
WVZ002>009-012-150400-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
910 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA...

A LARGE BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MMOVING ACROSS
OHIO DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WAS REPORTED IN SEVERAL AREAS AS THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH. SATELLITE
PICTURES AND WEATHER RADAR INDICATE THAT THE INTENSITY OF THE STORMS
HAS BEEN DECREASING DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS. HOWEVER...SOME OF THE
STORMS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

THE AIR MASS ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA IS VERY MOIST AND SOME LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT AS THE STORMS MOVE SOUTHEAST
THROUGH WEST VIRGINIA IN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. SOME PONDING OF WATER
IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND STREET FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE HEAVY
DOWNPOURS.

THE WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON IS MONITORING THIS SITUATION CLOSELY
AND WILL ISSUE RADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

END/PCZ
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 10:14 PM EDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
WVZ006>008-150330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
1015 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 1005 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED A LINE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE
LEADING EDGE EXTENDED FROM JUST EAST OF POINT PLEASANT SOUTH TO ABOUT
20 MILES EAST OF WAYNE AND ON SOUTHWEST TO NEAR PRESTONBURG IN FLOYD
COUNTY KENTUCKY. THE LINE IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL MOVE INTO MINGO AND LOGAN COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA BY
1100 PM.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS
AS THEY MOVE INTO SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

IN ADDITION...A COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER
SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. ONE OF THESE WAS OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN
NICHOLAS COUNTY 10 TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RICHWOOD. THE OTHER WAS
OVER SOUTHERN MONROE COUNTY ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF UNION. BRIEF
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM OVER NICHOLAS COUNTY WILL MOVE ACROSS
NORTHERN GREENBRIER COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR WHILE THE STORM OVER
MO?NROE COUNTY WILL MOVE ACROSS WETERN CRAIG COUNTY VIRGINIA.

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

END/PLATE
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 11:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
WVZ002>009-012-150600-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1105 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WEAKENING OVER WEST VIRGINIA...

THE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH OHIO...WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NORTHRN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA DURING THE
EVENING WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY AS THEY MOVED INTO WESTERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA. BY 11 PM A LARGE BAND OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTH AND WEST
INTO WEST VIRGINIA NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ELKINS TO WILLIAMSON.

SOME PATCHES OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WERE STILL DETECTED BY WEATHER
RADAR NEAR MORGANTOWN...NEAR SISTERSVILLE AND NEW MARTINSVILLE ALONG
THE OHIO RIVER AND FROM NEAR SAINT ALBANS SOUTH THROUGH LOGAN AND ON
TO PIKEVILLE KENTUCKY. THE INTENSITY OF THE RAIN CONTINUED TO DIMINISH
AND THE THREAT OF ANY SIGNIGFICANT HEAVY RAIN APPEARS TO BE OVER FOR
THE TIME BEING IN MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA.
THE AIR MASS OVER THE STATE IS STILL VERY MOIST AND LOCALLY HEAVY
DOWNPOURS COULD OCCUR IF THUNDERSTORMS REGENERATE DURING THE NIGHT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PITTSBURGH ISSUED FLASH
FLOOD WARNINGS EARLIER IN THE EVENING FOR OHIO AND MARSHALL
COUNTIES IN THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND THEY CONTINUE IN EFFECT
UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

END/PCZ
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 11:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
WVZ006>008-150430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
1115 PM EDT THU JUN 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

AT 1105 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED A LINE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE
LEADING EDGE EXTENDED FROM NEAR SPENCER TO CHARLESTON TO ABOUT 15 MILES
EAST OF LOGAN THEN SOUTHWEST TO NEAR WHITESBURG IN LETCHER COUNTY
KENTUCKY. THE LINE IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE
INTO RALEIGH...WYOMING...AND MCDOWELL COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
BY MIDNIGHT.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS
AS THEY MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE OVER NICHOLAS AND MONROE COUNTIES AT 1005 PM
HAVE SINCE DISSIPATED.

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

END/PLATE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 15, 1:45 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXMarion3 hr
Jun 15, 2:15 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXCalhoun, Gilmer, Ritchie4 hr
Jun 15, 4:13 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXWebster4 hr
Jun 15, 4:18 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXRandolph, Upshur4 hr
Jun 15, 6:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXPreston2 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.