Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Charleston, WV

June 30, 1990Preston County, West Virginia; Garrett County, Maryland

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jun 30, 1990, 11:17 PM EDT for Preston County, West Virginia; Garrett County, Maryland. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 30, 1990, 11:17 PM EDT (03:17 UTC)
Expired
Jul 1, 1990, 2:15 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Garrett County, MD, Preston 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, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 115 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 1990-07-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1515 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 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 1990-07-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 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
1515 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1023 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KEKN 010317
FFWEKN
MDC023-WVC077-010615-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
1117 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST MARYLAND
 
   ...GARRETT COUNTY
 
 
IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...PRESTON COUNTY
 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTHERN PRESTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA, AND OVER GARRETT
COUNTY IN WESTERN MARYLAND. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING OVER AREAS
WHERE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED DURING THE EVENING HOURS. THE HEAVY
RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.
ROADS HAVE BEEN REPORTED CLOSED IN THE DEEP CREEK LAKE AREA OF GARRETT
COUNTY MARYLAND.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR
PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME
OR BUSINESS.  IF FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPES MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY
IMMEDIATELY. DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS ROADWAYS.
 
HILL
 
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, Jun 30, 5:54 PM EDT, 5 hours 23 minutes before
WVZ005-009-010-011-MDZ008-009-302300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
555 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

WEATHER RADAR AT 545 PM EDT INDICATED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRIGINIA. THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN LEWIS COUNTY EAST
THROUGH UPSHUR INTO SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY NEAR BEVERLY. A VERY
STRONG STORM WAS OVER SOMERSET COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA WHICH WILL MOVE
INTO EASTERN ALLEGANY COUNTY OF WESTERN MARYLAND DURING THE NEXT
HOUR.

REPEATED THUNDERSTORM RAINS CAN CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. VERY HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE SMALL STREAM
FLOODING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST
AROUND 35 MPH.

THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER INDICATES THAT NORTHERN
AND NORTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN MARYLAND ARE IN A RISK
AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

KEEP WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE TO
SAFE SHELTER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST
FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 6:47 PM EDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
WVZ005-009-010-011-MDZ008-009-010000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
645 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL 11 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN AND
NORTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...WESTERN MARYLAND AND NORTHWEST
VIRGINIA..

WEATHER RADAR AT 640 PM EDT INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. 1/4 INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED
AT BEVERLY WITH THIS STORM. A VERY STRONG STORM WAS OVER
SOUTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA MOVING INTO NORTHWEST ALLEGANY
COUNTY OF WESTERN MARYLAND NEAR MT. SAVAGE. OTHER STORMS EXTEND NORTH
INTO NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA.

MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER EXTREME EASTERN OHIO
BETWEEN PARKSERBURG AND WHEELING.

REPEATED THUNDERSTORM RAINS CAN CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. VERY HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE SMALL STREAM
FLOODING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST
AROUND 35 MPH.

KEEP WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE TO
SAFE SHELTER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST
FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE PWARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 7:31 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes before
WVZ002>009-012-VA015-016-010200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
730 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF WEST VIRGINIA UNTIL
11 PM...

AT 725 PM CHARLESTON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
WASHINGTON COUNTY OHIO. THESE THUNDERSTORM WILL CROSS THE OHIO RIVER BY
745 PM AND MOVE ACROSS TYLER AND PLEASANTS COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA DURING
THE NEXT HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..GUSTY WINDS..
HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLY HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST AT
30 MILES AN HOUR.

END/ORCHANIAN
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 7:46 PM EDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
WVZ005-009-010-011-MDZ008-009-010100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
745 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL 11 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN AND
NORTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...WESTERN MARYLAND AND NORTHWEST
VIRGINIA..

WEATHER RADAR AT 745 PM EDT INDICATED VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
WASHINGTON COUNTY OHIO ALONG THE OHIO RIVER BETWEEN PARKESBURG AND
SISTERSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS. WEATHER RADAR INDICATED ANOTHER INTENSE
STORM OVER FAYETTE COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA. THIS STORM MAY AFFECT GARRETT
COUNTY OF WESTERN MARYLAND DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS.
THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER NORTH CENTRAL WEST
VIRGINIA AND WILL BE AFFECTING THE COUNTIES OF MONONGALIA...HARRISON
MARION AND LEWIS DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

REPEATED THUNDERSTORM RAINS CAN CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON
ROADWAYS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. VERY HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE SMALL
STREAM FLOODING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND HEAVY RAINS AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST
AROUND 35 MPH.

KEEP WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE TO
SAFE SHELTER. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST
FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 8:47 PM EDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
WVZ006>008-010200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
840 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA UNTIL 11PM EDT ...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MINGO AND LOGAN COUNTIES UNTIL
10PM EDT...

AT 830 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS
OVER MINGO AND LOGAN COUNTIES IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA.  NUMEROUS
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE... WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.  ALTHOUGH THE MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
HAS BEEN ERRATIC...THE ARE GENERALLY MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
DAMAGING WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN AS THEY PASS OVERHEAD.

SOME MINOR FLOODING AND STANDING WATER MAY BE EXPERIENCED IN AREAS
RECEIVING SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER )RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
END/CALCATERRA
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 10:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
WVZ002>009-012-VA015-016-010200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND THE
EVENING WEATHER STORY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN SLOPES OF
WEST VIRGINIA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1015 PM EDT SAT JUN 30 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF WEST VIRGINIA
UNTIL 11 PM...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR
CABELL..LINCOLN..LOGAN..MASON..MINGO..PUTNAM AND WAYNE COUNTIES...

AT 1010 PM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OBSERVED OVER BRAXTON COUNTY AND
ANOTHER OVER DODDRIDGE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG
GUSTY WINDS..HAIL..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. THEY WERE
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

WOOD COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED 1/4 INCH HAIL..TREE LIMBS DOWN AND
POWER OUTAGES AS SOME VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE
COUNTY EARLIER THIS EVENING.

HEAVY DOWNPOURS ACCOMPANIED THESE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. FOR EXAMPLE OUR
AUTOMATIC RAIN GAGE NETWORK REPORTED 0.84 INCHES AT THREE FORKS
(RANDOLPH COUNTY)..0.75 INCH AT BLUE ROCK (RANDOLPH COUNTY) AND ABOUT
3/4 OF AN INCH ACROSS LINCOLN COUNTY.

MORE THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING ACROSS OHIO ONCE AGAIN. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WILL MONITOR THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO WEST
VIRGINIA. ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OVER
THE NORTHERN PART OF WEST VIRGINIA MAY CAUSE SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING
PROBLEMS IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS..PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND
RAPID RISES ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. KEEP ABREAST FOR FURTHER
WEATHER UPDATES.

THE AIR MASS OVER OUR AREA IS VERY MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE. THESE
ARE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR THUNDERSTORM FORMATION.
MEANWHILE THE WEATHER MAPS TONIGHT SHOWED A COLD FRONT THAT WAS
PUSHING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES AND THE THE CENTRAL PLAINS.
THIS FRONT WILL BE THROUGH OUR AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND BRING COOLER
TEMPERATURES AND LOWER HUMIDITY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BEHIND THE
FRONT OVER MICHIGAN ON MONDAY AND BRING TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S
TO LOWER 80S ALONG WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE.

HOWEVER..IT WILL BE VERY HOT ON INDEPENDENCE DAY AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB
INTO THE 90S.

END/ORCHANIAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 30, 8:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXWood63 min
Jun 30, 8:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPocahontas62 min
Jun 30, 8:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPreston58 min
Jun 30, 9:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXCalhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Ritchie67 min
Jun 30, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXLewis55 min
Jun 30, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXHampshire55 min
Jun 30, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMonongalia55 min
Jun 30, 9:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXBraxton, Gilmer64 min
Jun 30, 9:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMineral69 min
Jun 30, 11:04 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXRandolph116 min
Jun 30, 11:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPreston3 hr
Jul 1, 2:05 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXMineral55 min
Jul 1, 5:45 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXRandolph60 min
Jul 1, 7:55 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXBoone35 min
Jul 1, 11:37 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMonongalia, Preston53 min
Jul 1, 12:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXWetzel38 min
Jul 1, 12:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMarion62 min
Jul 1, 1:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXBarbour, Harrison, Lewis67 min
Jul 1, 1:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXUpshur63 min
Jul 1, 2:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRandolph57 min
Jul 1, 3:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXNicholas42 min
Jul 1, 5:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRaleigh, Summers69 min
Jun 30, 8:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXAllegany62 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 1990Flash Flood Warnings in Maryland, 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.