Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2016

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Charleston, WV

May 2, 20166 counties in West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at May 2, 2016, 3:38 PM EDT for 6 counties in West Virginia. It was in force for 6 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 2, 2016, 3:38 PM EDT (19:38 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2016, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Boone County, WV, Logan County, WV, McDowell County, WV, Mingo County, WV, Raleigh County, WV, Wyoming County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:37 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 2, 4:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOODAvondale, WVFACEBOOK FAN SHARED PICTURES WITH RUSHING WATER AND REPORTED SEVERAL MUDSLIDES IN VICINITY
May 2, 5:23 PM EDTFLASH FLOODWelch, WVNUMEROUS FULL DITCHES WITH STANDING WATER ON ROADS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
May 2, 7:10 PM EDTFLASH FLOODWharncliffe, WVPER DISPATCH BENS CREEK OUT OF BANKS... COVERING ROADWAY.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 194 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 12:00Z on 2016-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 215 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2016-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 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
215 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

769 
WGUS51 KRLX 021938
FFWRLX
WVC005-045-047-059-081-109-030130-
/O.NEW.KRLX.FF.W.0009.160502T1938Z-160503T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
338 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  RALEIGH COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...
  SOUTHERN BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...
  MINGO COUNTY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...
  WYOMING COUNTY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...
  LOGAN COUNTY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...
  MCDOWELL COUNTY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 930 PM EDT

* AT 337 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
  HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO
  BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BECKLEY...WELCH...LOGAN...PINEVILLE...MULLENS...MABSCOTT...OCEANA...
  SOPHIA...CHAPMANVILLE...GARY...WAR...MAN...DELBARTON...NORTHFORK...SHADY
  SPRING...PROSPERITY...R.D. BAILEY LAKE...WHARTON...BALD KNOB AND
  HOLDEN.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...800 401 9535...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

YOU MAY ALSO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

&&

LAT...LON 3738 8193 3747 8200 3753 8194 3756 8211
      3785 8241 3795 8228 3802 8200 3804 8164
      3797 8134 3788 8129 3782 8095 3771 8089
      3771 8098 3759 8109 3758 8120 3727 8142
      3720 8168

$$

14
2 follow-up statements
341 
WGUS71 KRLX 022135
FFSRLX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
535 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016

WVC005-045-047-059-081-109-030130-
/O.CON.KRLX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-160503T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
RALEIGH WV-BOONE WV-MINGO WV-WYOMING WV-LOGAN WV-MCDOWELL WV-
535 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR
RALEIGH...SOUTHERN BOONE...MINGO...WYOMING...LOGAN AND MCDOWELL
COUNTIES...

AT 531 PM EDT...RADAR ESTIMATES, AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT REPORTED HEAVY RAIN DUE TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
AREA.  UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN MOST PLACES.
FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED OR HAS BEGUN.

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER THE WARNED AREA WILL CAUSE MUD SLIDES NEAR
STEEP TERRAIN. THE MUD SLIDE CAN CONSIST OF ROCK...MUD...VEGETATION
AND OTHER LOOSE MATERIALS.  MUDSLIDES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN
AVONDALE, IN MCDOWELL COUNTY WV.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
BECKLEY...WELCH...LOGAN...PINEVILLE...MULLENS...MABSCOTT...OCEANA...SOPHIA...
CHAPMANVILLE...GARY...WAR...MAN...DELBARTON...NORTHFORK...SHADY SPRING...
PROSPERITY...R.D. BAILEY LAKE...WHARTON...BALD KNOB AND HOLDEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED
ROADS. FIND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...800 401 9535...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

YOU MAY ALSO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

&&

LAT...LON 3738 8193 3747 8200 3753 8194 3756 8211
      3785 8241 3795 8228 3802 8200 3804 8164
      3797 8134 3788 8129 3782 8095 3771 8089
      3771 8098 3759 8109 3758 8120 3727 8142
      3720 8168

$$

14
558 
WGUS71 KRLX 030026
FFSRLX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
826 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016

WVC005-045-047-059-081-109-030036-
/O.CAN.KRLX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-160503T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
RALEIGH WV-BOONE WV-MINGO WV-WYOMING WV-LOGAN WV-MCDOWELL WV-
826 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR RALEIGH...SOUTHERN BOONE...MINGO...
WYOMING...LOGAN AND MCDOWELL COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED. FLOODING IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO POSE A
THREAT. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HEED ANY REMAINING ROAD CLOSURES.

LAT...LON 3738 8193 3747 8200 3753 8194 3756 8211
      3785 8241 3795 8228 3802 8200 3804 8164
      3797 8134 3788 8129 3782 8095 3771 8089
      3771 8098 3759 8109 3758 8120 3727 8142
      3720 8168

$$

14

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 1:57 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXJackson, Mason, Roane, Wirt, Wood48 min
May 2, 2:58 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXGilmer, Ritchie, Wirt62 min
May 2, 3:06 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchRLXBarbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay and 22 more18 hr
May 2, 6:04 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXPocahontas26 min
May 2, 2:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXMcDowell43 min
May 2, 2:20 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXRaleigh, Wyoming40 min
May 2, 2:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXBoone, Logan, Mingo53 min
May 2, 2:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXRaleigh49 min
May 2, 3:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXMcDowell42 min
May 2, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMcDowell, Wyoming35 min
May 2, 4:02 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXCabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Putnam, Wayne4 hr
May 2, 4:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMcDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming33 min
May 2, 4:58 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXBraxton, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Nicholas, Roane and 1 more4 hr
May 2, 5:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXPocahontas39 min
May 2, 5:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXPocahontas31 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 2016Every flash flood warning in 2016

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.