Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 85, NWS Charleston, WV

July 13, 1994Barbour County, Preston County, Taylor County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 13, 1994, 9:01 PM EDT for Barbour County, Preston County, Taylor County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 13, 1994, 9:01 PM EDT (01:01 UTC)
Expired
Jul 14, 1994, 12:00 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Barbour County, WV, Preston County, WV, Taylor County, WV

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 123 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 1994-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1994-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1797 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
19 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 KEKN 140101
FFWEKN
WVC001-077-091-140400-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
901 PM EDT WED JUL 13 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...NORTHERN BARBOUR COUNTY...SOUTHERN PRESTON COUNTY
   ...TAYLOR COUNTY
 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN OVER NORTHERN BARBOUR, SOUTWEST PRESTON, AND OVER TAYLOR
COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA. RADAR ESTIMATES SHOW IN EXCESS OF TWO
INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN OVER THESE AREAS DURING THE PAST
ONE AND ONE HALF HOUR.
 
RAINFALL OF THIS INTENSITY WILL CAUSE CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE
OUT OF THEIR BANKS VERY QUICKLY. A RAINFALL OBSERVER AT THORNTON
IN NORTHEAST BARBOUR COUNTY REPORTED 2.42 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN
A ONE HOUR PERIOD ENDING JUST BEFORE 9 PM EDT, WITH HEAVY RAINFALL
CONTINUING.
 
A FLASH 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.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  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.
 
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS EVENT.
 
END/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, Jul 13, 6:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
WVZ035-142300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
605 PM EDT WED JUL 13 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL RALEIGH COUNTY...

AT 6 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
APPROACHING BECKLY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT AROUND 20
MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD PASS THROUGH THE BECKLEY AREA BY 615 PM. BRIEF
VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS, STRONG GUSTY WINDS, AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

IF OUTDOORS MOVE INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED,
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. MOTORISTS SHOULD WATCH FOR WATER PONDING ON THE
ROADAWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN THE HEAVY RAIN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER WEATHER UPDATES.

END/COBB
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:42 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
WVZ023-032-040-140245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
842 PM EDT WED JUL 13 1994

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS, AT 8:30 PM EDT, WERE SHOWING
A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN BARBOUR, SOUTHERN
TAYLOR, AND SOUTHWEST PRESTON COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA. RADAR
ESTIMATES OF RAINFALL WERE FROM 1 TO IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES PER
HOUR.

THE STORM WAS OVER THE CLEMTOWN AND COVE RUN COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN
BARBOUR COUNTY, AND WAS OVER TYGART LAKE STATE PARK IN SOUTHERN
TAYLOR COUNTY, THEN EAST TO OVER FELLOWSVILLE IN SOUTHWEST PRESTON
COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA.

RAINFALL OF THIS INTENSITY WILL CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO
RISE VERY QUICKLY, AND SOME MAY RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. IF YOU
LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A SMALL STREAM OR CREEK, OR IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA,
BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF WATER LEVELS BEGIN TO RISE
QUICKLY.

MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CARE UNDER AND NEAR THE HEAVIER RAINFALL.
SLOW DOWN, AND NEVER DRIVE THROUGH WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING
ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

IF YOU BECOME AWARE OF ANY FLOODING WITHIN YOUR IMMEDIATE AREA,
PHONE YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCENMENT AGENCY, AND AKS
THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

END/HILL

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:42 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
WVZ023-032-040-140245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
842 PM EDT WED JUL 13 1994

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS, AT 8:30 PM EDT, WERE SHOWING
A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN BARBOUR, SOUTHERN
TAYLOR, AND SOUTHWEST PRESTON COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA. RADAR
ESTIMATES OF RAINFALL WERE FROM 1 TO IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES PER
HOUR.

THE STORM WAS OVER THE CLEMTOWN AND COVE RUN COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN
BARBOUR COUNTY, AND WAS OVER TYGART LAKE STATE PARK IN SOUTHERN
TAYLOR COUNTY, THEN EAST TO OVER FELLOWSVILLE IN SOUTHWEST PRESTON
COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA.

RAINFALL OF THIS INTENSITY WILL CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO
RISE VERY QUICKLY, AND SOME MAY RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. IF YOU
LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A SMALL STREAM OR CREEK, OR IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA,
BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF WATER LEVELS BEGIN TO RISE
QUICKLY.

MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CARE UNDER AND NEAR THE HEAVIER RAINFALL.
SLOW DOWN, AND NEVER DRIVE THROUGH WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING
ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

IF YOU BECOME AWARE OF ANY FLOODING WITHIN YOUR IMMEDIATE AREA,
PHONE YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCENMENT AGENCY, AND AKS
THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

END/HILL

NNNN

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.