Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 36, NWS Charleston, WV

May 24, 1998Boone County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at May 24, 1998, 9:04 PM EDT for Boone County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 24, 1998, 9:04 PM EDT (01:04 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 1998, 12:00 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Boone County, WV

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 215 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 1998-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1309 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 1998-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 229 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
553 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
229 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
289 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCRW 250105
FFWCRW
WVC005-250400-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
904 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN SOUTHWEST WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...BOONE COUNTY.
 
RADAR ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN ONE TO TWO INCHES HAVE FALLEN ACROSS BOONE
COUNTY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS THIS SAME AREA PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS.
 
<< CALL TO ACTION >> BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS
HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF F
LASH
FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.
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

Local storm report, May 24, 6:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
615 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0600 AM    BIG ROCK                  VA   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/98   BUCHANAN                       TREE BLOWN DOWN ON MOBLE
                                          HOME.

0800 AM    PAYNESVILLE               WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   MCDOWELL                       DIME SIZE HAIL.

0400 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.

0405 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   2 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        2 INCH SIZE ICE CUBES.

0405 PM    KEHOE                     KY   1 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  FUNNEL
                                          CLOUD PASSED OVER HOUSE
                                          AND WINDSHIELD BROKE FROM
                                          HAIL. NUMEROUS TREES
                                          DAMAGED OR DOWN.

0430 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   TORNADO
05/24/98   GREENUP                        TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON
                                          RIDGE LINE CONFIRMED BY
                                          SEVERAL SPOTTERS. NUMEROUS
                                          TREES UPROOTED AND DOWN.
                                          NO HOMES OR BUILDINGS IN
                                          THE VICINITY OF THE PATH.

0448 PM    ASHLAND                   KY   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   BOYD                           DIME SIZE HAIL.

0449 PM    BARBOURSVILLE             WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   CABELL                         DIME SIZE HAIL.

0513 PM    GREENUP                   KY   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        DIME SIZE HAIL.

0520 PM    HURRICANE                 WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   PUTNAM                         DIME SIZE HAIL.

0548 PM    PEDRO                     OH   1.5 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   LAWRENCE                       PING PONG SIZE HAIL.
Local storm report, May 24, 6:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
615 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0600 AM    BIG ROCK                  VA   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/98   BUCHANAN                       TREE BLOWN DOWN ON MOBLE
                                          HOME.

0800 AM    PAYNESVILLE               WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   MCDOWELL                       DIME SIZE HAIL.

0400 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.

0405 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   2 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        2 INCH SIZE ICE CUBES.

0405 PM    KEHOE                     KY   1 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  FUNNEL
                                          CLOUD PASSED OVER HOUSE
                                          AND WINDSHIELD BROKE FROM
                                          HAIL. NUMEROUS TREES
                                          DAMAGED OR DOWN.

0430 PM    WARNOCK                   KY   TORNADO
05/24/98   GREENUP                        TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON
                                          RIDGE LINE CONFIRMED BY
                                          SEVERAL SPOTTERS. NUMEROUS
                                          TREES UPROOTED AND DOWN.
                                          NO HOMES OR BUILDINGS IN
                                          THE VICINITY OF THE PATH.

0448 PM    ASHLAND                   KY   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   BOYD                           DIME SIZE HAIL.

0449 PM    BARBOURSVILLE             WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   CABELL                         DIME SIZE HAIL.

0513 PM    GREENUP                   KY   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   GREENUP                        DIME SIZE HAIL.

0520 PM    HURRICANE                 WV   .75 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   PUTNAM                         DIME SIZE HAIL.

0548 PM    PEDRO                     OH   1.5 INCH HAIL
05/24/98   LAWRENCE                       PING PONG SIZE HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 24, 7:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
WVZ005>011-013>020-024>040-043-045>047-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-KYZ
101>103-105-250100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
725 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1 AM
EDT MONDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN
KENTUCKY AND ALL BUT THE PANHANDLES...AND MERCER AND MONROE COUNTIES OF
WEST VIRGINIA. THIS WATCH REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT
WAS TO HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF THIS AREA.

SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN EASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHEASTERN
OHIO AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO BE VERY
UNSTABLE AND LIKELIHOOD FOR MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS GREAT.
ALSO...TORNADOES ARE A POSSIBILITY WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO COMMERCIAL RADIO...AND CABLE TELEVISION...AS WELL AS NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUUATION.

.END/ZINN
Special weather statement, May 24, 7:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
WVZ005>011-013>020-024>040-043-045>047-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-KYZ
101>103-105-250100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
725 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1 AM
EDT MONDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN
KENTUCKY AND ALL BUT THE PANHANDLES...AND MERCER AND MONROE COUNTIES OF
WEST VIRGINIA. THIS WATCH REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT
WAS TO HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF THIS AREA.

SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN EASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHEASTERN
OHIO AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO BE VERY
UNSTABLE AND LIKELIHOOD FOR MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS GREAT.
ALSO...TORNADOES ARE A POSSIBILITY WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO COMMERCIAL RADIO...AND CABLE TELEVISION...AS WELL AS NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUUATION.

.END/ZINN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 8:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPleasants43 min
May 24, 8:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRandolph49 min
May 24, 8:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXKanawha31 min
May 24, 8:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRaleigh12 min
May 24, 8:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRitchie52 min
May 24, 8:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXFayette63 min
May 24, 8:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRaleigh34 min
May 24, 9:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXRaleigh33 min
May 24, 9:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMingo, Wayne53 min
May 25, 12:20 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMingo40 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998

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.