Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Charleston, WV

January 7, 1994Doddridge County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jan 7, 1994, 7:50 PM EST for Doddridge County, West Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 7, 1994, 7:50 PM EST (00:50 UTC)
Expired
Jan 7, 1994, 11:45 PM EST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Doddridge County, WV

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 1994-01-08Temperature 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 1994-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -41 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156175Sfc1 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
472 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
136 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
32 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 080050
FFWCRW
WVC017-073-095-080445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
750 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING  EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...S...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...DODDRIDGE COUNTY
 
IN NORTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...PLEASANTS COUNTY...TYLER COUNTY
 
WIDESPREAD FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG MIDDLE ISLAND CREEK. FLOOD
WATERS ARE BACKING UP INTO TRIBUTARIES OF MIDDLE ISLAND CREEK. MAJOR
ROADS, INCLUDING RTES 6 AND 16 IN TYLER COUNTY AND RT 18, AT WEST UNION
WV IN DODDIRDGE COUNTY, ARE UNDER WATER AND CLOSED. MIDDLE ISLAND CREEK
IS STILL RISING AT OVER A FOOT AN HOUR ALONG MUCH OF ITS LENGTH.
 
A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
EOM

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, 4:00 PM EST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-072300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
400 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994

...FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF LOGAN AND MINGO UNTIL 7 AM
SATURDAY...

RAINFALL FROM OVERNIGHT AND TODAY...COMBINED WITH SNOWMELT HAS
SOME CREEKS OVERFLOWING. ONLY KNOWN WATER PROBLEMS IN SOUTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA AS OF 3PM WERE SCATTERED ACROSS LOGAN AND MINGO
COUNTIES WHERE SOME CREEKS WERE OVER LOW-LYING ROADWAYS. NO PERSONAL
PROPERTY OR LIVES WERE THREATENED ACCORDING TO EMERGENCY SERVICES
PERSONNEL.

WEATHER SPOTTERS IN NORTHWEST MINGO COUNTY INDICATED CREEKS AND STREAMS
THERE HAD CRESTED AND WERE SLOWLY RECEDING. SMALL RISES CONTINUE
ELSEWHERE IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA.

PERSONS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND RIVERS SHOULD KEEP A WATCH FOR
RAPIDLY RISING WATER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY. MOTORISTS TRAVELING THROUGH LOW-LYING AREAS IN MINGO AND
LOGAN COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
DELAYS.

WEATHER RADAR SHOWED LIGHT RAIN OVER ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST
VIRGINIA...WITH PATCHES OF HEAVIER RAIN SCATTERED ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS. AS COLDER AIR INVADES SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA THIS
EVENING...PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO A RAIN-SNOW MIXTURE BEFORE
CONVERTING TO ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT. THE CONVERSION WILL HELP
LESSEN THE FLOOD THREAT IN THE WATCH AREA.

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

...CORRECTED TO DELETE GAPING HOLE IN LAST PARAGRAPH OF STATEMENT...

END/BURRUS
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 4:07 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-072300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
400 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994

...FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF LOGAN AND MINGO UNTIL 7 AM
SATURDAY...

RAINFALL FROM OVERNIGHT AND TODAY...COMBINED WITH SNOWMELT HAS
SOME CREEKS OVERFLOWING. ONLY KNOWN WATER PROBLEMS IN SOUTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA AS OF 3PM WERE SCATTERED ACROSS LOGAN AND MINGO
COUNTIES WHERE SOME CREEKS WERE OVER LOW-LYING ROADWAYS. NO PERSONAL
PROPERTY OR LIVES WERE THREATENED ACCORDING TO EMERGENCY SERVICES
PERSONNEL.

WEATHER SPOTTERS IN NORTHWEST MINGO COUNTY INDICATED CREEKS AND STREAMS
THERE HAD CRESTED AND WERE SLOWLY RECEDING. SMALL RISES CONTINUE
ELSEWHERE IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA.

PERSONS LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND RIVERS SHOULD KEEP A WATCH FOR
RAPIDLY RISING WATER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY. MOTORISTS TRAVELING THROUGH LOW-LYING AREAS IN MINGO AND
LOGAN COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
DELAYS.

WEATHER RADAR SHOWED LIGHT RAIN OVER ALL OF SOUTHERN WEST
VIRGINIA...WITH PATCHES OF HEAVIER RAIN SCATTERED ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS. AS COLDER AIR INVADES SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA THIS
EVENING...PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO A RAIN-SNOW MIXTURE BEFORE
CONVERTING TO ALL SNOW LATER TONIGHT. THE CONVERSION WILL HELP
LESSEN THE FLOOD THREAT IN THE WATCH AREA.

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

...CORRECTED TO DELETE GAPING HOLE IN LAST PARAGRAPH OF STATEMENT...

END/BURRUS
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 5:39 PM EST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
WVZ005>007-KYZ100>107-KYZ119-OHZ081>088-080100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
530PM EDT FRI JAN 7 1994

...MINOR OVERFLOW STILL CONTINUING ON MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN
THE AREA...

AT 530PM 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 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.  THESE FALLING TEMPERATURES
WILL STOP ALL SURFACE RUNOFF ALLOWING THE RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RETURN
TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS THIS WEEKEND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS
FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

HATFIELD
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 5:39 PM EST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
WVZ005>007-KYZ100>107-KYZ119-OHZ081>088-080100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
530PM EDT FRI JAN 7 1994

...MINOR OVERFLOW STILL CONTINUING ON MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN
THE AREA...

AT 530PM 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 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.  THESE FALLING TEMPERATURES
WILL STOP ALL SURFACE RUNOFF ALLOWING THE RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RETURN
TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS THIS WEEKEND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS
FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

HATFIELD
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 6:15 PM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-080100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
615 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994

...FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF LOGAN AND MINGO UNTIL 7 AM
SATURDAY...

PERSISTENT LIGHT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT FROM THIS AFTERNOON HAVE
COMBINED TO SEND MANY STREAMS AND CREEKS CLOSE TO OR EXCEEDING BANKFULL
ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL TODAY HAS BEEN IN
THE WESTERN THIRD OF WEST VIRGINIA...WHERE A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH 7 AM SATURDAY.

AT 6 PM...NO MAJOR FLOODING HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. HOWEVER...MANY LOW-LYING AREAS IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA WERE
EXPERIENCING SOME STANDING WATER. THE WORST REPORTED CONDITIONS WERE
ALONG RT. 44 IN CENTRAL LOGAN COUNTY ALONG THE MUD FORK CREEK.
STANDING WATER HAD FORCED A DETOUR AROUND THE COMMUNITIES OF
SHAMROCK...WHITMAN AND MT. GAY. COUNTY OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT NO
LIVES OR PROPERTY WERE AT RISK AND FLOODING IN THIS REGION WAS COMMON
AFTER AND DURING PROLONGED RAIN EPISODES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND ISSUE A FLOOD WARNING IF
NECESSARY.

COLDER AIR WAS DROPPING SOUTH INTO THE REGION AND WILL CONTINUE DOING
SO THIS EVENING. BY 6 PM...PRECIPITATION HAD ALREADY CHANGED TO LIGHT
SNOW AT HUNTINGTON...WITH A RAIN-SNOW MIXTURE AT CHARLESTON. DURING THE
REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...A RAIN-SNOW MIX IS EXPECTED TO WORK ITS WAY
FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...BECOMING ALL SNOW
BY MIDNIGHT. DURING THE TRANSITION...A SLIGHT DECREASE IN INTENSITY OF
PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR AND THE THREAT OF MAJOR FLOODING WILL LESSEN.

MOTORISTS TONIGHT ARE URGED TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND BE PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE DELAYS IN LOW-LYING AND HISTORICALLY POOR DRAINAGE AREAS..
PERSONS LIVING IN LOW-LYING AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR
WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED.

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

END/BURRUS
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 6:15 PM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
WVZ024-025-033>037-042>045-080100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
615 PM EST FRI JAN 7 1994

...FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF LOGAN AND MINGO UNTIL 7 AM
SATURDAY...

PERSISTENT LIGHT RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT FROM THIS AFTERNOON HAVE
COMBINED TO SEND MANY STREAMS AND CREEKS CLOSE TO OR EXCEEDING BANKFULL
ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL TODAY HAS BEEN IN
THE WESTERN THIRD OF WEST VIRGINIA...WHERE A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH 7 AM SATURDAY.

AT 6 PM...NO MAJOR FLOODING HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. HOWEVER...MANY LOW-LYING AREAS IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA WERE
EXPERIENCING SOME STANDING WATER. THE WORST REPORTED CONDITIONS WERE
ALONG RT. 44 IN CENTRAL LOGAN COUNTY ALONG THE MUD FORK CREEK.
STANDING WATER HAD FORCED A DETOUR AROUND THE COMMUNITIES OF
SHAMROCK...WHITMAN AND MT. GAY. COUNTY OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT NO
LIVES OR PROPERTY WERE AT RISK AND FLOODING IN THIS REGION WAS COMMON
AFTER AND DURING PROLONGED RAIN EPISODES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND ISSUE A FLOOD WARNING IF
NECESSARY.

COLDER AIR WAS DROPPING SOUTH INTO THE REGION AND WILL CONTINUE DOING
SO THIS EVENING. BY 6 PM...PRECIPITATION HAD ALREADY CHANGED TO LIGHT
SNOW AT HUNTINGTON...WITH A RAIN-SNOW MIXTURE AT CHARLESTON. DURING THE
REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...A RAIN-SNOW MIX IS EXPECTED TO WORK ITS WAY
FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...BECOMING ALL SNOW
BY MIDNIGHT. DURING THE TRANSITION...A SLIGHT DECREASE IN INTENSITY OF
PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR AND THE THREAT OF MAJOR FLOODING WILL LESSEN.

MOTORISTS TONIGHT ARE URGED TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND BE PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE DELAYS IN LOW-LYING AND HISTORICALLY POOR DRAINAGE AREAS..
PERSONS LIVING IN LOW-LYING AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR
WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY IF A 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 7, 7:50 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXPleasants, Tyler4 hr
Jan 7, 11:34 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRLXDoddridge, Pleasants, Tyler4 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.