Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 77, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 9, 1997, 11:56 AM EDT for Ritchie County, West Virginia. It was in force for 34 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 9, 1997, 11:56 AM EDT (15:56 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 9, 1997, 12:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
County Ritchie County, WV
The radar
The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:00 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 12:05 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrisville, WV | |
| Jul 9, 12:20 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Pennsboro, WV | Trees were either snapped off or uprooted. A couple of tin roofs were damaged, including the skating rink. A porch roof was blown off. The wind was channelled from the northwest. Estimated gust from a follow-up National Weather Service survey was 70 mph. |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The nearest sounding before it
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 160 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
- 26 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -199 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1039 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -45 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 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 091556 RRA SVRCRW WVC085-091630- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1156 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN NORTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA ...RITCHIE COUNTY AT 11:55 AM...DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE RITCHIE/PLEASANT COUNTY LINE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THIS STORM WILL BE DAMAGING HAIL. THE COMMUNITIES OF ELLENBORO AND PENNSBORO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. << CALL TO ACTION >> WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRIN G...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DON'T USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE HAS PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. SITES
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, 10:07 AM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
OHZ075-083-084-091500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 955 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS AND BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST...ACROSS VINTON COUNTY OF SOUTHERN OHIO. AT 9:45 AM THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE NEAR EAGLE MILLS...RATCLIFFBURG...AND ALLENSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT SUCH COMMUNITIES AS MCARTHUR AND ZALESKI...PLUS THE LAKE HOPE STATE PARK... BETWEEN 10 AND 10:30 AM. AFTER 11 O'CLOCK...THIS PARTICULAR BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS ATHENS COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN VINTON COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTIES BETWEEN 10:30 AM AND 11:30 THIS MORNING. SO FOLKS AROUND WELLSTON AND THE CITY OF JACKSON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. KEEP AN EYE ON THE WESTERN SKY...SKY SHELTER INDOORS BEFORE A STORM ARRIVES. END / KTB / NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 10:09 AM EDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
OHZ075-083-084-091500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 955 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS AND BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST...ACROSS VINTON COUNTY OF SOUTHERN OHIO. AT 9:45 AM THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE NEAR EAGLE MILLS...RATCLIFFBURG...AND ALLENSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT SUCH COMMUNITIES AS MCARTHUR AND ZALESKI...PLUS THE LAKE HOPE STATE PARK... BETWEEN 10 AND 10:30 AM. AFTER 11 O'CLOCK...THIS PARTICULAR BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS ATHENS COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN VINTON COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTIES BETWEEN 10:30 AM AND 11:30 THIS MORNING. SO FOLKS AROUND WELLSTON AND THE CITY OF JACKSON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. KEEP AN EYE ON THE WESTERN SKY...SKY SHELTER INDOORS BEFORE A STORM ARRIVES. END / KTB / NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 10:12 AM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
OHZ075-083-084-091500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT....CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1012 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS AND BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST...ACROSS VINTON COUNTY OF SOUTHERN OHIO. AT 9:45 AM THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE NEAR EAGLE MILLS...RATCLIFFBURG...AND ALLENSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT SUCH COMMUNITIES AS MCARTHUR AND ZALESKI...PLUS THE LAKE HOPE STATE PARK... BETWEEN 10 AND 10:30 AM. BY 10:30 OR 11 OCLOCK...THIS PARTICULAR BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS ATHENS COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN VINTON COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTIES BETWEEN 10:30 AM AND 11:30 THIS MORNING. SO FOLKS AROUND WELLSTON AND THE CITY OF JACKSON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. KEEP AN EYE ON THE WESTERN SKY...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS BEFORE A STORM ARRIVES. END / KTB / NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 10:15 AM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
OHZ075-083-084-091500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT....CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1012 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS AND BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST...ACROSS VINTON COUNTY OF SOUTHERN OHIO. AT 9:45 AM THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE NEAR EAGLE MILLS...RATCLIFFBURG...AND ALLENSVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT SUCH COMMUNITIES AS MCARTHUR AND ZALESKI...PLUS THE LAKE HOPE STATE PARK... BETWEEN 10 AND 10:30 AM. BY 10:30 OR 11 O'CLOCK...THIS PARTICULAR BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS ATHENS COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN VINTON COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTIES BETWEEN 10:30 AM AND 11:30 THIS MORNING. SO FOLKS AROUND WELLSTON AND THE CITY OF JACKSON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. KEEP AN EYE ON THE WESTERN SKY...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS BEFO,RE A STORM ARRIVES. END / KTB / NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 10:48 AM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
WVZ006>011-OHZ076-085>087-KYZ103-091545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1048 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST OHIO AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN 11 AM AND 12:30 PM. THIS INCLUDES FOLKS AROUND SUCH COMMUNITIES AS SISTERSVILLE...MARIETTA...PARKERSBURG... POMEROY...GALLIPOLIS...HUNTINGTON...ASHLAND...AND IRONTON. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...BUT NOT EVERYONE WILL SEE A SHOWER. THE MOST COVERAGE TO THESE SHOWERS WILL LIKELY BE AROUND PARKERSBURG AND MARIETTA. A DECREASE IN THE SHOWER ACTIVITY IS LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHEAST OHIO...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...AND EXTREME WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON. END / KTB
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 11:02 AM EDT, 54 minutes before
WVZ006>011-OHZ076-085>087-KYZ103-091545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1048 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997 BRIEF HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST OHIO AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN 11 AM AND 12:30 PM. THIS INCLUDES FOLKS AROUND SUCH COMMUNITIES AS SISTERSVILLE...MARIETTA...PARKERSBURG... POMEROY...GALLIPOLIS...HUNTINGTON...ASHLAND...AND IRONTON. ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A BRIEF DOWNPOUR...BUT NOT EVERYONE WILL SEE A SHOWER. THE MOST COVERAGE TO THESE SHOWERS WILL LIKELY BE AROUND PARKERSBURG AND MARIETTA. A DECREASE IN THE SHOWER ACTIVITY IS LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHEAST OHIO...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...AND EXTREME WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON. END / KTB
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 12:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Doddridge | 28 min |
| Jul 9, 5:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Cabell, Wayne | 28 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.