Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 84, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1998, 9:27 PM EDT for Raleigh County, West Virginia. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report 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
- May 24, 1998, 9:27 PM EDT (01:27 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 1998, 10:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
County Raleigh County, WV
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 9:30 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Beckley, WV | A few vehicles were damaged. |
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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 7:00 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 167 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
037 WUUS1 KCRW 250128 RRA SVRCRW WVC081-250200- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 927 PM EDT SUN MAY 24 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN SOUTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA ...RALEIGH COUNTY. AT 927 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHERN RALEIGH COUNTY NEAR COAL RIVER MOUNTAIN MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL TRACK NEAR PROSPERITY AND PINEY VIEW BY 940 PM. << CALL TO ACTION >> THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH... LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A S PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
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
Local storm report, May 24, 6:15 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 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, 3 hours 12 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, 2 hours 2 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, 2 hours 2 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 8:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Pleasants | 43 min |
| May 24, 8:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Randolph | 49 min |
| May 24, 8:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Kanawha | 31 min |
| May 24, 8:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Raleigh | 12 min |
| May 24, 8:38 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Ritchie | 52 min |
| May 24, 8:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Fayette | 63 min |
| May 24, 8:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Raleigh | 34 min |
| May 24, 9:04 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Boone | 3 hr |
| May 24, 9:37 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Mingo, Wayne | 53 min |
| May 25, 12:20 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Mingo | 40 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 1998Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.