Alert archive / West Virginia / Flood Watches in 2025

Flood Watch 9, NWS Charleston, WV

May 16, 202513 counties in West Virginia; Gallia County, Lawrence County, Ohio; 4 counties in Kentucky

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flood watch at May 16, 2025, 9:08 AM EDT for 13 counties in West Virginia; Gallia County, Lawrence County, Ohio; 4 counties in Kentucky. It took effect at May 16, 2025, 12:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 16 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 2025, 9:08 AM EDT (13:08 UTC)
In effect from
May 16, 2025, 12:00 PM EDT
Expired
May 17, 2025, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
16 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Flood severity
None

Counties Boyd County, KY, Carter County, KY, Greenup County, KY, Lawrence County, KY, Gallia County, OH, Lawrence County, OH, Boone County, WV, Cabell County, WV, Fayette County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, Lincoln County, WV, Logan County, WV, Mason County, WV, McDowell County, WV, Mingo County, WV, Putnam County, WV, Raleigh County, WV, Wayne County, WV, Wyoming County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:11 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 12:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 203 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 12:00Z on 2025-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 267 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 12:00Z on 2025-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 35 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
267 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-100 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
915 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
231 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch 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 flood watch went out at May 16, 6:55 AM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 6:55 AM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 4:21 AM EDT, 4 hours 47 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 16, 7:01 AM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
701 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025

KYZ105-WVZ005-161130-
Lawrence KY-Wayne WV-
701 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT LAWRENCE AND CENTRAL WAYNE
COUNTIES THROUGH 730 AM EDT...

At 701 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Culver, or near Blaine, moving east at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Louisa, Wayne, Blaine, Yatesville Lake State Park, Fort Gay,
Webbville, East Lynn Lake, Dunlow, Martha, Gallup, Clifford,
Glenhayes, Houckville, Fallsburg, East Lynn, and Genoa.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

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

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 3804 8300 3805 8298 3805 8296 3809 8293
      3810 8292 3810 8291 3811 8289 3813 8291
      3818 8292 3823 8236 3795 8236 3799 8291
      3800 8294 3799 8296 3800 8302 3801 8302
TIME...MOT...LOC 1101Z 270DEG 46KT 3810 8293

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

12
Special weather statement, May 16, 7:30 AM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
730 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025

WVZ005-013-025-026-161200-
Boone WV-Lincoln WV-Logan WV-Wayne WV-
730 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN LINCOLN...NORTHWESTERN
LOGAN...CENTRAL WAYNE AND NORTHWESTERN BOONE COUNTIES THROUGH 800 AM
EDT...

At 729 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Kiahsville, or 10 miles south of Wayne, moving east at 60 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Madison, Chapmanville, Ranger, Gill, East Lynn Lake, Spurlockville,
Kiahsville, Dunlow, Harts, Julian, Danville, Turtle Creek, Woodville,
Palermo, Foster, East Lynn, Genoa, Alkol, Mud, and Jeffrey.

This includes Route 119 between mile markers 35 and 61.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

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

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 3816 8250 3820 8182 3819 8182 3818 8180
      3820 8178 3820 8175 3793 8175 3795 8219
      3796 8220 3798 8219 3796 8225 3797 8248
      3798 8246 3798 8248 3800 8249 3800 8250
TIME...MOT...LOC 1129Z 270DEG 51KT 3807 8240

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

12

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:01 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXWayne29 min
May 16, 7:30 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXLincoln, Wayne30 min
May 16, 12:34 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXMcDowell41 min
May 16, 12:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMcDowell54 min
May 16, 1:38 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXDoddridge, Ritchie37 min
May 16, 1:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatRLXMcDowell27 min
May 16, 1:54 PM EDTWind AdvisoryRLXFayette, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Randolph, Webster31 hr
May 16, 2:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXBarbour, Doddridge, Harrison, Taylor52 min
May 16, 2:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMcDowell37 min
May 16, 2:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXBarbour, Harrison, Randolph, Taylor29 min
May 16, 2:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMcDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming31 min

Nearby

Flood Watches in West Virginia, 2025Flood Watches in Kentucky, 2025Flood Watches in Ohio, 2025Every flood watch 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.