Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994
Flash Flood Warning 84, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at May 7, 1994, 11:11 PM EDT for Putnam County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 7, 1994, 11:11 PM EDT (03:11 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1994, 2:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
County Putnam County, WV
The nearest sounding before it
Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 54 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
- 51 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -104 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 524 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 62 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 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 KCRW 080312 FFWCRW WVC079-080600- FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1111 PM EDT SAT MAY 7 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 215 AM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN WEST CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA ...PUTNAM COUNTY ALTHOUGH RAIN HAS ENDED, RUNOFF FROM THE RAINS WAS CAUSING STREAMS AND CREEKS TO OVERFLOW THIER BANKS. THIS INCLUDES HEIZER CREEK NORTH OF POCA. IT WAS 3 TO 4 FEET OUT OF ITS BANKS AND FLOODING ROADS. IN ADDITION, BILLS CREEK NEAR THE JOHN AMOS POWER PLANT WAS ALSO COVERING BILLS CREEK ROAD. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. D IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. &
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, May 7, 5:30 PM EDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
WVZ042>045-080000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 530 PM EDT SAT MAY 7 1994 ...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS SUMMERS COUNTY... AT 535 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HINTON IN SUMMERS COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH. THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWESTERN MONROE AND SOUTHERN GREENBRIER COUNTIES BEFORE 6 PM. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. END/COBB ...CORRECTED FOR MOVEMENT...
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:41 PM EDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before
WVZ042>045-080000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 530 PM EDT SAT MAY 7 1994 ...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS SUMMERS COUNTY... AT 535 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HINTON IN SUMMERS COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH. THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWESTERN MONROE AND SOUTHERN GREENBRIER COUNTIES BEFORE 6 PM. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. END/COBB ...CORRECTED FOR MOVEMENT...
Special weather statement, May 7, 10:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
WVZ034>036-042>045-080500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 1005 PM EDT SAT MAY 7 1994 ...HIGH WATER ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA... HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY HAS CAUSED MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE NEAR BANKFULL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND GREENBRIER VALLEY. AUTOAMTED RAIN GAGES AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE THAT FROM ONE TO ONE AND THREE-QUARTERS OF AND INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. NO WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED HOWEVER THE USUAL FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE BEING AFFECTED. CRANBERRY CREEK HAS LEFT ITS BANKS LIMITING TRAFFIC TO ONE LANE NEAR THE RALEIGH MALL. ALSO WATER HAS COVERED THE ROADWAY IN ECCLES. MAPLE FORK CREEK IN BRADLEY IS OUT OF ITS BANKS BUT IS NOT A THREAT TO MOTORISTS OR RESIDENTS. OTHER RIVERS IN RALEIGH, FAYETTE, AND GREENBRIER COUNTIES ARE REPORTED TO BE AT THREE-QUARTERS TO NEAR BANKFUL THIS EVENING. AN AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY CROSSING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT AS THE STORMS ARE WEAKENING AS THEY MOVE EAST, HOWEVER A BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOUR MAY STILL OCCUR. DUE TO THE FAST MOVEMENT OF THESE SHOWERS AND APPARENT WEAKENING, FURTHER AGGRIVATION OF FLOODING PROBLEMS SHOULD BE LIMITED. STILL RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. MOTORISTS TONIGHT SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION AS WATER COVERED ROADWAYS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO STANDING WATER. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES. END/COBB
Special weather statement, May 7, 10:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
WVZ034>036-042>045-080500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 1005 PM EDT SAT MAY 7 1994 ...HIGH WATER ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA... HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY HAS CAUSED MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE NEAR BANKFULL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND GREENBRIER VALLEY. AUTOAMTED RAIN GAGES AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE THAT FROM ONE TO ONE AND THREE-QUARTERS OF AND INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. NO WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED HOWEVER THE USUAL FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE BEING AFFECTED. CRANBERRY CREEK HAS LEFT ITS BANKS LIMITING TRAFFIC TO ONE LANE NEAR THE RALEIGH MALL. ALSO WATER HAS COVERED THE ROADWAY IN ECCLES. MAPLE FORK CREEK IN BRADLEY IS OUT OF ITS BANKS BUT IS NOT A THREAT TO MOTORISTS OR RESIDENTS. OTHER RIVERS IN RALEIGH, FAYETTE, AND GREENBRIER COUNTIES ARE REPORTED TO BE AT THREE-QUARTERS TO NEAR BANKFUL THIS EVENING. AN AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY CROSSING SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT AS THE STORMS ARE WEAKENING AS THEY MOVE EAST, HOWEVER A BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOUR MAY STILL OCCUR. DUE TO THE FAST MOVEMENT OF THESE SHOWERS AND APPARENT WEAKENING, FURTHER AGGRIVATION OF FLOODING PROBLEMS SHOULD BE LIMITED. STILL RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. MOTORISTS TONIGHT SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION AS WATER COVERED ROADWAYS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO STANDING WATER. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES. END/COBB
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 8:31 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Doddridge | 5 hr |
| May 7, 8:31 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Lincoln | 5 hr |
| May 7, 8:41 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Harrison, Upshur | 4 hr |
| May 7, 8:41 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Taylor | 4 hr |
| May 7, 8:53 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Calhoun, Gilmer | 5 hr |
| May 7, 9:05 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Clay, Nicholas | 5 hr |
| May 7, 9:13 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Barbour, Randolph | 4 hr |
| May 7, 9:13 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Pocahontas | 4 hr |
| May 7, 9:13 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Lewis | 4 hr |
| May 7, 10:25 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Webster | 4 hr |
| May 7, 11:02 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Kanawha | 3 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.