Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 21, NWS Charleston, WV

January 28, 1994Wetzel County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jan 28, 1994, 6:00 AM EST for Wetzel County, West Virginia. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 28, 1994, 6:00 AM EST (11:00 UTC)
Expired
Jan 28, 1994, 12:00 PM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Wetzel County, WV

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 101 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 1994-01-28Temperature 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 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 1994-01-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
513 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
266 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 KCRW 281101
FFWCRW
WVC103-281700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
600 AM EST FRI JAN 28 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN NORTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...WETZEL COUNTY
 
THE RAINFALL COMBINED WITH MELTING SNOW FROM WARMING
TEMPERATURES WILL CAUSE CREEKS AND STREAMS TO COME OUT
OF THEIR BANKS.  WATER CAN BE EXPECTED TO FLOW ACROSS
ROADWAYS AND SOME HOMES ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS CAN
ALSO EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING PROBLEMS.  PERSONS
LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR THIS
SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION.
 
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. WATCH OUT FOR MUD SLIDES.

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, Jan 28, 3:10 AM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-281100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
310 AM EST FRI JAN 28 1994

...FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

WEATHER RADAR AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATED WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION
ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION
AREA EXTENDED SOUTH TO THE GULF COAST. SOME MODERATE RAINFALL WAS SHOWN
OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY AND THE SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA.

IN THE WESTERN LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA
PRECIPITATION WAS FALLING AS LIGHT RAIN WITH SOME SPOTTY LIGHT DRIZZLE.
LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE A NORTHEAST MOVEMENT ACROSS THE AREA THIS
MORNING, INCREASING IN INTENSITY DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.

A DIFFERENT STORY WAS BEING WRITTEN IN THE GREENBRIER VALLEY AND
EXTREME WESTERN VIRGINIA. OFFICIALS IN GREENBRIER COUNTY REPORTED
SPOTTY AREAS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE CONTINUE,
MAINLY FROM LEWISBURG EAST, WHILE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTY HAD
SEEN PRECIPITATION CHANGE TO LIQUID RAIN. THE MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE HAD RECEIVED NO FURTHER REPORTS OF FREEZING PRECIPITATION.

THE FREEZING PRECIPITATION EXTENDED INTO WESTERN VIRGINIA. THE
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS REPORTED I-64 WAS ICY IN SPOTS, ESPECIALLY
BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES, FROM WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS TO COVINGTON,
VIRGINIA. SECONDARY ROADS ACROSS EASTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY WERE ALSO
SLICK.

TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN RISING SLOWLY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA SINCE
LATE THURSDAY EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE THIS TREND DURING THE PREDAWN
HOURS. THIS WILL ALLOW ALL OF THE GREENBRIER VALLEY TO RISE ABOVE
FREEZING AND HELP ELIMINATE ANY MAJOR DRIVING HAZARDS. BY 6 AM, THE
MERCURY WILL REST IN THE MID AND UPPER 30S IN EASTERN GREENBRIER
COUNTY, WITH 40S EXPECTED ELSEWHERE.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY. NO FLOODING HAS YET BEEN REPORTED
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, BUT PERSONS ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS
SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS FREQUENTLY WHEN RAIN BEGINS TO INTENSIFY
LATER THIS MORNING AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE QUICKLY IF WATER LEVELS RISE
RAPIDLY OR A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

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

END/BURRUS
Special weather statement, Jan 28, 3:11 AM EST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-281100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
310 AM EST FRI JAN 28 1994

...FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

WEATHER RADAR AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATED WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION
ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION
AREA EXTENDED SOUTH TO THE GULF COAST. SOME MODERATE RAINFALL WAS SHOWN
OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY AND THE SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA.

IN THE WESTERN LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA
PRECIPITATION WAS FALLING AS LIGHT RAIN WITH SOME SPOTTY LIGHT DRIZZLE.
LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE A NORTHEAST MOVEMENT ACROSS THE AREA THIS
MORNING, INCREASING IN INTENSITY DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.

A DIFFERENT STORY WAS BEING WRITTEN IN THE GREENBRIER VALLEY AND
EXTREME WESTERN VIRGINIA. OFFICIALS IN GREENBRIER COUNTY REPORTED
SPOTTY AREAS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE CONTINUE,
MAINLY FROM LEWISBURG EAST, WHILE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTY HAD
SEEN PRECIPITATION CHANGE TO LIQUID RAIN. THE MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE HAD RECEIVED NO FURTHER REPORTS OF FREEZING PRECIPITATION.

THE FREEZING PRECIPITATION EXTENDED INTO WESTERN VIRGINIA. THE
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS REPORTED I-64 WAS ICY IN SPOTS, ESPECIALLY
BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES, FROM WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS TO COVINGTON,
VIRGINIA. SECONDARY ROADS ACROSS EASTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY WERE ALSO
SLICK.

TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN RISING SLOWLY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA SINCE
LATE THURSDAY EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE THIS TREND DURING THE PREDAWN
HOURS. THIS WILL ALLOW ALL OF THE GREENBRIER VALLEY TO RISE ABOVE
FREEZING AND HELP ELIMINATE ANY MAJOR DRIVING HAZARDS. BY 6 AM, THE
MERCURY WILL REST IN THE MID AND UPPER 30S IN EASTERN GREENBRIER
COUNTY, WITH 40S EXPECTED ELSEWHERE.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY. NO FLOODING HAS YET BEEN REPORTED
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, BUT PERSONS ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS
SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS FREQUENTLY WHEN RAIN BEGINS TO INTENSIFY
LATER THIS MORNING AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE QUICKLY IF WATER LEVELS RISE
RAPIDLY OR A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

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

END/BURRUS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 28, 2:08 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXTyler12 hr
Jan 28, 5:13 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXDoddridge, Ritchie6 hr
Jan 28, 5:51 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXPleasants6 hr
Jan 28, 9:41 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXMarion, Monongalia3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 1994Every flash flood warning in 1994

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.