Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 130, NWS Charleston, WV

July 19, 20254 counties in West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 19, 2025, 12:53 AM EDT for 4 counties in 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
Jul 19, 2025, 12:53 AM EDT (04:53 UTC)
Expired
Jul 19, 2025, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Jackson County, WV, Mason County, WV, Putnam County, WV, Roane County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:56 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 00:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 195 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2025-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 362 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2025-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 59 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
362 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
694 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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.

NWS Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 18, 8:15 PM EDT, 4 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 8:15 PM EDT, 4 hours 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Charleston WV
815 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
A tropical airmass remains over the region with several short
wave troughs passing through. Locally heavy showers and storms
over increasingly compromised soils may lead to flash flooding.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 815 PM Friday...

Showers and thunderstorms south of a front, which is now
slicing into northern portions of the forecast area, continue to
rumble across the middle Ohio Valley and mainly northern and
central WV. This activity should continue to gradually wane in
coverage and intensity tonight, although not necessarily
entirely.

We have had isolated instances of quick, flashy storms this
afternoon, and an excessively heavy downpour cannot be ruled out
even into the overnight, given the front in the area, and
tropical moisture in place.

As of 240 PM Friday...

The atmosphere is primed for convection this afternoon and
evening with an extremely moist airmass in place. In fact,
PWATs on the latest SPC MesoAnalysis page are around 2" along
the OH River with most of the region between 1.7" and 2.1".

As of this afternoon, surface heating/insolation has
effectively eroded most of the morning inhibition, allowing
scattered thunderstorms to develop just to the west of the CWA.
This area of convection will move into the region later this
afternoon and into the evening. This will increase the flash
flood threat where storms train over already saturated soils or
train for multiple hours in one location. Instantaneous rainfall
rates could easily exceed 5" inches per/hr with one hr totals
exceeding 1-2". Any locations that see more sustained training
or repeated storms could see localized bullseyes over the next
24hrs of 2-5". This could lead to localized considerable flash
flooding.

As for some of the stronger storms, localized damaging winds
will be possible from wet microbursts. Any wind threat should
wane into the overnight, but heavy rain will remain a threat.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
As of 240 PM Friday...

The active and humid pattern continues Saturday. Another
mid-level disturbance will provide forcing within the same
tropical airmass. The thermodynamic profile will be similar to
Friday, with afternoon MLCAPE reaching 1000-2000 J/kg. A slight
increase in deep-layer shear is anticipated, with shear values
potentially reaching 20-30 knots. This may allow for better-
organized multicell clusters and transient short line segments,
increasing the potential for isolated damaging wind gusts,
warranting another Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms. The
primary threat, however, remains flash flooding due to efficient
rainfall processes in the moisture-laden environment. It is
becoming increasingly likely the mid shift will need to issue
another Flash Flood Watch for Saturday.

By Sunday, a cold front will begin to push into the region from
the northwest. The front will serve as a focus for convective
initiation. Ahead of the front, strong heating/insolation will
again generate modest instability, with MLCAPE values
between 1000-2000 J/kg. While deep-layer shear will remain
modest, sufficient instability and lift along the boundary
support a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms, with damaging
winds being the main concern. The front will clear the area from
northwest to south Sunday night, bringing an end to the
widespread precipitation threat.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
As of 240 PM Friday...

A notable pattern shift occurs early next week as the frontal
boundary pushes south of the area and high pressure builds in
from the north. This will introduce a drier and more stable
airmass on Monday, resulting in a marked decrease in
precipitation chances.

The dominant weather story for the remainder of the long term
will be building heat. A subtropical ridge is forecast to
strengthen and expand northward, promoting subsidence and a
steady warming trend. High temperatures, starting in the mid
80s on Monday, are forecast to climb into the low 90s by
Wednesday and Thursday. With dew points remaining sticky in the
upper 60s to low/mid 70s, afternoon heat indices will approach
the mid/upper 90s, with some locations possibly reaching 100
degrees.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 815 PM Friday...

Scattered showers and thunderstorms should largely diminish
after sunset, although one or the other cannot be entirely ruled
out overnight.

Areas of stratus and fog are likely to form overnight at least
at locations that have had rain earlier, which were HTS, PKB,
CKB and BKW, although EKN has the best chance for receiving
rain this evening. The fog will lift just after daybreak, and
the stratus will gradually lift into MVFR stratocumulus through
the morning hours, before ceilings climb above 3 kft early
Saturday afternoon.

Showers and thunderstorms may fire up at least across southern
WV and northeast Kentucky Saturday afternoon, but will become
more likely throughout the area late in the day or even in the
evening, when a short wave trough approaches from the west.

Light and variable to calm surface flow tonight will become
light west to southwest on Saturday. Light southwest flow aloft
tonight will become light west overnight and continue light
west through Saturday.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: The forecast of stratus and especially fog
overnight into early Saturday morning is highly uncertain. A
shower or thunderstorm could roam about the area overnight.
Timing, locations and intensity of showers and thunderstorms
Saturday afternoon could vary from the forecast.

EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY
OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION:
H = HIGH:   TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.
M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS.
L = LOW:    TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.

UTC 1HRLY       21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08
EDT 1HRLY       17   18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04
CRW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    L    L    L    M
HTS CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    H
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    H
EKN CONSISTENCY  H    H    M    H    H    H    H    H    H    L    M    L
PKB CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M    M
CKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    L    L    M    M

&&

AFTER 00Z SUNDAY...
Brief periods of IFR conditions possible under showers and
thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours,
Saturday night through Sunday. IFR or worse fog is also
possible during the overnights Saturday and Sunday nights,
especially where any heavy rain falls the previous day or
evening.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Saturday for WVZ005>011-013>020-
     024>034-039-040-515>526.
OH...Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Saturday for OHZ066-067-075-076-
     083>087.
KY...Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Saturday for KYZ101>103-105.
VA...Flood Watch until 2 AM EDT Saturday for VAZ003-004.

&&

SYNOPSIS...JRM/TRM
NEAR TERM...JRM/TRM
SHORT TERM...JRM
LONG TERM...JRM
AVIATION...TRM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 18, 6:55 PM EDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
655 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     Debris Flow      11 SW Davenport         37.00N 82.29W
07/18/2025                   Dickenson          VA   911 Call Center

            Mud slide on Phillips Hollow.

&&
Local storm report, Jul 18, 6:58 PM EDT, 5 hours 55 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
658 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     Flood            9 SW Davenport          37.01N 82.25W
07/18/2025                   Dickenson          VA   911 Call Center

            Water and debris reported on roadway.

&&
Local storm report, Jul 18, 6:59 PM EDT, 5 hours 54 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
659 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1129 AM     Flash Flood      Anmoore                 39.26N 80.28W
07/18/2025                   Harrison           WV   Trained Spotter

            Flooding along route 58 in Anmoore.

&&
Local storm report, Jul 18, 10:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1016 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     Flash Flood      13 SW Davenport         36.98N 82.32W
07/18/2025                   Dickenson          VA   Broadcast Media

            Water in multiple houses according to local
            media social media post.

&&
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 10:52 PM EDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1052 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

OHZ086-087-WVZ007-008-014-016-190315-
Gallia OH-Lawrence OH-Jackson WV-Roane WV-Mason WV-Putnam WV-
1052 PM EDT Fri Jul 18 2025

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN GALLIA...NORTHERN
LAWRENCE...CENTRAL MASON...NORTHERN PUTNAM...WESTERN ROANE AND
SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON COUNTIES THROUGH 1115 PM EDT...

At 1051 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 7 miles north of Buffalo to 9 miles southwest
of Gallipolis to near Sciotodale. Movement was east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Torrential rainfall

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Heavy rain in a short period of time could cause flooding
         in low lying spots and in urban areas. Use caution if
         driving.

Locations impacted include...
Gallipolis, Buffalo, Kenna, Vernon, Waterloo, Leon, Harmony, Given,
Southside, Kentuck, Liberty, Ashton, Grimms Landing, Gallopolis
Ferry, and Gage.

This includes Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 121
and 130.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3868 8270 3875 8270 3875 8266 3883 8265
      3878 8195 3870 8144 3859 8166 3863 8170
      3858 8175 3867 8276
TIME...MOT...LOC 0251Z 270DEG 15KT 3871 8196 3872 8231 3878 8282

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

14
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 11:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 10:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXMason23 min
Jul 18, 11:10 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXMason3 hr
Jul 18, 11:38 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXPutnam22 min
Jul 19, 5:55 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXFayette3 hr
Jul 19, 6:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXLincoln28 min
Jul 19, 7:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXLincoln32 min
Jul 19, 7:30 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXMason30 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 2025Every flash flood warning in 2025

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.