Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994
Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jan 7, 1994, 1:00 PM EST for Harrison County, Lewis County, Upshur County, West Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 7, 1994, 1:00 PM EST (18:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 7, 1994, 5:00 PM EST
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Harrison County, WV, Lewis County, WV, Upshur County, WV
The nearest sounding before it
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 152 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 477 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 87 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 109 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 228 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KEKN 071800 FFWEKN WVC001-033-041-083-093-097-072200- SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 1 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 5 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA ...BARBOUR COUNTY...HARRISON COUNTY...LEWIS COUNTY ...RANDOLPH COUNTY...TUCKER COUNTY...UPSHUR COUNTY THE COMBINATION OF SNOWMELT AND RAINFALL DURING THE PAST 12 HOURS HAS CAUSED MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO OVERFLOW. CULVERTS AND DRAINS ARE SNOW COVERED OR BLOCKED BY ICE. THIS IS CAUSING FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS, LOW LYING AREAS, AND SOME HIGHWAYS WERE BLOCKED DUE TO OVERFLOWING STREAMS AND BLOCKED CULVERTS. TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE FREEZING THROUGHOUT WEST VIRGINIA, AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THIS WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL RUNOFF INTO THE STREAMS AND CREEKS. ANYONE LIVING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD WATCH WATER LEVELS CLOSELY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 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 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, Jan 7, 9:46 AM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes before
WVZ005>047-072000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 945 AM EST FRI JAN 7 1993 MINOR SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS BEING REPORTED ACROSS WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA THIS MORNING. A COMBINATION OF RAIN, SNOWMELT, AND WARM MOIST AIR HAS CAUSED RAPID RISES IN SMALL STREAMS. MANY REPORTS OF LOW-LYING ROADS BEING UP TO 2 TO 3 FEET UNDER WATER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE WESTERN SLOPES OF WEST VIRGINIA FROM THE PARKERSBURG WV AREA ON SOUTH. ABOUT AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE AREA LATE YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT. RAIN IS DECREASING IN INTENSITY ACROSS THE AREA. COOLER AIR WILL SWEEP INTO THE AREA BETWEEN 1PM AND 4PM THIS AFTERNOON. THE COOLER AIR WILL STOP THE RAPID MELT OF SNOW AND ALLOW THE SNOW TO HOLD RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN. WATER PROBLEMS WILL END AT THAT TIME. IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA AND AREAS NORTH OF PARKERSBURG WV COOLER AIR HAS ALLOWED THE DEEPER SNOW COVER TO ABSORB ALMOST ALL OF THE RAINFALL. NO FLOODING OF ANY SORT IS ANTICIPATED UP THERE. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER FLOWING ACROSS ROADS. FLOWING WATER OFTEN UNDERMINES ROADS, AND MOTORISTS COULD BE SWEPT AWAY IF THAT HAPPENS. EOM
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 10:27 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-072100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 1027 AM EST FRI JAN 7 1994 ...COLDER AIR WILL INVADE THE MOUNTAIN STATE BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON... A COLD FRONT ALONG THE OHIO RIVER THAT WILL MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN STATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL USHER IN ANOTHER ROUND OF WINTERY WEATHER FROM LATE THIS EVENING INTO SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO BE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES...HOWEVER THE MAIN PROBLEMS TONIGHT WILL BE WATER ON THE ROADS FROM TODAYS RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT BECOMING ICY. THIS COMBINED WITH SNOW ACCCUMULATING ON THE ICE WILL CAUSE SOME ROADWAYS TO BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. DENSE FOG WILL DEVELOP IN SOME AREAS ADDING TO THE DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION. SOME MINOR FLOODING MAY OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA DUE TO THE SNOWMELT AND RAIN. THE FLOODING WILL MAINLY BE IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE OR WHERE URBAN FLOODING OCCASIONALLY OCCURS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. END/MONEYPENNY
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 10:27 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-072100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 1027 AM EST FRI JAN 7 1994 ...COLDER AIR WILL INVADE THE MOUNTAIN STATE BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON... A COLD FRONT ALONG THE OHIO RIVER THAT WILL MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN STATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL USHER IN ANOTHER ROUND OF WINTERY WEATHER FROM LATE THIS EVENING INTO SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO BE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES...HOWEVER THE MAIN PROBLEMS TONIGHT WILL BE WATER ON THE ROADS FROM TODAYS RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT BECOMING ICY. THIS COMBINED WITH SNOW ACCCUMULATING ON THE ICE WILL CAUSE SOME ROADWAYS TO BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. DENSE FOG WILL DEVELOP IN SOME AREAS ADDING TO THE DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION. SOME MINOR FLOODING MAY OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA DUE TO THE SNOWMELT AND RAIN. THE FLOODING WILL MAINLY BE IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE OR WHERE URBAN FLOODING OCCASIONALLY OCCURS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. END/MONEYPENNY
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 12:02 PM EST, 58 minutes before
WVZ005>047-072000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1205 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1993 ...SNOW MELT AND LIGHT RAIN ARE CONTINUING TO CAUSE LOCALIZED HIGH WATER PROBLEMS ACROSS THE WESTERN LOWLANDS OF WEST VIRGINIA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON... A COMBINATION OF RAIN, SNOWMELT, AND WARM MOIST AIR HAS CAUSED RAPID RISES IN SMALL STREAMS. SOME INFORMATION RECIEVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON THIS MORNING INCLUDES REPORTS OF UP TO A COUPLE OF FEET OF WATER ON ROADS IN PLACES LIKE TORNADO AND SAINT ALBANS IN KANAWHA COUNTY, AS WELL AS A FEW RURAL AREAS IN DODDRIDGE AND HARRISON COUNTIES. ICE JAMS WERE REPORTED TO BE CAUSING MINOR FLOODING IN TYLER COUNTY. THE MOST SERIOUS FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN LINCOLN COUNTY NEAR HAMLIN, WHERE HIGH WATER WAS BLOCKING SOME ROADS, AND THREATENING A FEW HOUSES. COLDER AIR WILL GRADUALLY BE WORKING INTO WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SLOW THE RATE OF SNOW MELT AND EASE THE HIGH WATER PROBLEMS. BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS EVENING, TEMPERATURES WILL BE FALLING TO NEAR FREEZING, WITH RAIN CHANGING OVER TO LIGHT SNOW. AT THAT TIME, ANY REMAINING HIGH WATER PROBLEMS WILL BE ENDING, WITH THE GREATEST WEATHER RELATED THREAT BEING THE REFREEZING OF WATER AND SLUSH ON ROADWAYS. END/MSE
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 12:56 PM EST, 4 minutes before
WVZ005>007-KYZ100>107-KYZ119-OHZ081>088-072000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 100PM EDT FRI JAN 7 1994 ...MINOR OVERFLOW STILL CONTINUING ON MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE AREA... AT 1255PM MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE TRI-STATE REMAINED AT OR SLIGHTLY OVER BANKFULL. PEOPLE IN THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO LOCAL CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF ANY FLOODING OCCURS. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALSO REMAIN ALERT FOR STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS, ESPECIALLY NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. FALLING TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL CAUSE ICY CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO MOST ROADWAYS ACROSS THE TRI-STATE. RAINFALL AND RUNOFF FROM THE SNOWMELT WILL REMAIN ON THE ROADS AND THIS WILL FREEZE AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL TONIGHT, BE ALERT FOR ICY PATCHES, ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS. END/DG
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 12:56 PM EST, 4 minutes before
WVZ005>007-KYZ100>107-KYZ119-OHZ081>088-072000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV 100PM EDT FRI JAN 7 1994 ...MINOR OVERFLOW STILL CONTINUING ON MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE AREA... AT 1255PM MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE TRI-STATE REMAINED AT OR SLIGHTLY OVER BANKFULL. PEOPLE IN THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO LOCAL CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF ANY FLOODING OCCURS. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALSO REMAIN ALERT FOR STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS, ESPECIALLY NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. FALLING TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL CAUSE ICY CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO MOST ROADWAYS ACROSS THE TRI-STATE. RAINFALL AND RUNOFF FROM THE SNOWMELT WILL REMAIN ON THE ROADS AND THIS WILL FREEZE AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL TONIGHT, BE ALERT FOR ICY PATCHES, ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS. END/DG
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 7, 11:18 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Tyler | 6 hr |
| Jan 7, 11:29 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Lincoln | 4 hr |
| Jan 7, 1:00 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Barbour, Randolph, Tucker | 4 hr |
| Jan 7, 1:36 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Kanawha | 4 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.