Alert archive / West Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this tornado warning at Jul 9, 1994, 3:26 PM EDT for Wood County, West Virginia. It was in force for 34 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 9, 1994, 3:26 PM EDT (19:26 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 9, 1994, 4:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
County Wood County, WV
The nearest sounding before it
Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 127 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
- 916 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -9 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 716 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 41 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 66 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCRW 091927 TORCRW WVC107-092000- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 326 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 400 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN NORTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA ...WOOD COUNTY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS RECEIVED A REPORT OF A TORNADO BETWEEN PARKERSBURG AND BELPRE. THIS STORM WILL MOVE OVER WOOD COUNTY AND TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS. &
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 9, 1:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
WVZ021-022-023-030-031-032-039-040-041-046-047-MDZ001-091945- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 143 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST ACROSS NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AT 1:30 PM. THE HEAVIER STORMS WERE LYING FROM CENTRAL MONONGALIA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA TO THE SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL MARION THROUGH HARRISON COUNTY INTO NORTHWESTERN LEWIS COUNTY, AND EASTERN GILMER COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT NEAR 20 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. GUSTY WIND AND SMALL HAIL COULD OCCUR WITH THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS. AUTOMATED RAINGAGES IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA WERE SHOWING SOME OF THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING FROM THREE QUARTERS TO ONE AND ONE-HALF INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS RATE OF RAINFALL WILL CAUSE QUICK RISES ALONG THE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS, AND WILL CAUSE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS AT CULVERTS, AND IN URBAN AREAS. PERSONS LIVING ALONG OR NEAR SMALLER STREAMS OR CREEKS, OR IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING SHOULD KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON WATER LEVELS DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER HEAVY DOWNPOURS OVER AND NEAR YOUR AREA. MOTORISTS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED IN AREAS OF HEAVIER RAIN. KEEP A WATCH AND NEVER DRIVE THROUGH WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROADWAY. END/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVCIE NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 1:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
WVZ007>012-016>023-027>032-038>041-046-047-092200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 151 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA HAVE PRODUCED HEAVY RAINFALL OVER PARTS OF THE REGION. 1 TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR HAS BEEN COMMON OVER OVER PARTS OF THIS REGION. DOAK, LOCATAED IN SOUTHWESTERN DODDRIDGE COUNTY, RECORDED 1.46 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR WITH THESE STORMS. AS THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH WEST VIRGINIA, SIMILIAR RAINFALL RATES MAY BE COMMON. DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS THERE MIGHT BE RAPID RISES ON SOME SMALL STREAMbS AND CREAKS IN THE AREA. DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER HAS CROSSED THE ROAD. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ANY FUTURE UPDATES. SHINKO
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 1:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
WVZ021-022-023-030-031-032-039-040-041-046-047-MDZ001-091945- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 143 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST ACROSS NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AT 1:30 PM. THE HEAVIER STORMS WERE LYING FROM CENTRAL MONONGALIA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA TO THE SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL MARION THROUGH HARRISON COUNTY INTO NORTHWESTERN LEWIS COUNTY, AND EASTERN GILMER COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT NEAR 20 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. GUSTY WIND AND SMALL HAIL COULD OCCUR WITH THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS. AUTOMATED RAINGAGES IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA WERE SHOWING SOME OF THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING FROM THREE QUARTERS TO ONE AND ONE-HALF INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS RATE OF RAINFALL WILL CAUSE QUICK RISES ALONG THE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS, AND WILL CAUSE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS AT CULVERTS, AND IN URBAN AREAS. PERSONS LIVING ALONG OR NEAR SMALLER STREAMS OR CREEKS, OR IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING SHOULD KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON WATER LEVELS DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER HEAVY DOWNPOURS OVER AND NEAR YOUR AREA. MOTORISTS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED IN AREAS OF HEAVIER RAIN. KEEP A WATCH AND NEVER DRIVE THROUGH WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROADWAY. END/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVCIE NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:31 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
WVZ021-022-023-030-031-032-039-040-041-046-047-MDZ001-092030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 231 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 AT 2:30 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS SHOWING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST PRESTON COUNTY TO THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS TAYLOR, BARBOUR, AND NORTHERN UPSHUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA THEN WEST ACROSS SOUTHERN LEWIS COUNTY INTO NORTHERN BRAXTON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AT THE RATE OF UP TO 1.50 INCHES IN ONE HOUR, AND THEY ARE PRODUCING STONG GUSTY WIND. A WIND GUST OF 46 MILES AN HOUR WAS RECORDED AT THE MORGANTOWN AIRPORT AROUND 2 PM EDT. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE SOME SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE QUICKLY. WATCH WATER LEVELS IF YOU LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A SMALL STREAM, OR IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD KEEP A WATCH NEAR THE HEAVIER SHOWERS FOR BLOCKED CULVERTS, AND URBAN RUNOFF PROBLEMS. DON'T DRIVE INTO WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD. WINDS GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR WILL LIKELY DOWN SOME TREES, AND POWER LINES. UPON THE APPROACH OF A THUNDERSTORM, SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. END/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ELKINS NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:31 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
WVZ021-022-023-030-031-032-039-040-041-046-047-MDZ001-092030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV 231 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 1994 AT 2:30 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS SHOWING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST PRESTON COUNTY TO THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS TAYLOR, BARBOUR, AND NORTHERN UPSHUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA THEN WEST ACROSS SOUTHERN LEWIS COUNTY INTO NORTHERN BRAXTON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AT THE RATE OF UP TO 1.50 INCHES IN ONE HOUR, AND THEY ARE PRODUCING STONG GUSTY WIND. A WIND GUST OF 46 MILES AN HOUR WAS RECORDED AT THE MORGANTOWN AIRPORT AROUND 2 PM EDT. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE SOME SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE QUICKLY. WATCH WATER LEVELS IF YOU LIVE ALONG OR NEAR A SMALL STREAM, OR IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO FLOODING. MOTORISTS SHOULD KEEP A WATCH NEAR THE HEAVIER SHOWERS FOR BLOCKED CULVERTS, AND URBAN RUNOFF PROBLEMS. DON'T DRIVE INTO WATER STANDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD. WINDS GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR WILL LIKELY DOWN SOME TREES, AND POWER LINES. UPON THE APPROACH OF A THUNDERSTORM, SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. END/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ELKINS NNNN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Roane | 29 min |
| Jul 9, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Clay | 42 min |
| Jul 9, 3:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Braxton, Nicholas | 65 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in West Virginia, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes 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.