Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 59, NWS Charleston, WV

July 11, 2026Jackson County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 11, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT for Jackson County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 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
Jul 11, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT (20:28 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2026, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Jackson County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:27 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
Jul 11, 4:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 N Kenna, WVIntersection of Charleston Rd and Shamblin Run Rd completely covered with water.
Jul 11, 5:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Nnw Kenna, WVGrasslick Creek out of its banks and flooding both WV-21 and Pleasant Valley Rd picture provided.
Jul 11, 5:20 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Ssw Kenna, WVWater over Eagle Rd at WV-21 picture provided.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 2 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 196 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 2026-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 722 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 2026-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 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
722 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
718 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-7 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

988 
WGUS51 KRLX 112028
FFWRLX
WVC035-112330-
/O.NEW.KRLX.FF.W.0059.260711T2028Z-260711T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Charleston WV
428 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Jackson County in northwestern West Virginia...

* Until 730 PM EDT.

* At 428 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain
  have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected
  to begin shortly. Fash flooding was already reported near Given and
  Kenna.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
           drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Ripley, Kenna, Given, Fairplain, Evans, Statts Mills and
  Cottageville.

This includes Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 123
and 143.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Report flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free,
800 401 9535, when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3862 8169 3867 8157 3891 8175 3884 8188

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

12
2 follow-up statements
512 
WGUS71 KRLX 112202
FFSRLX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
602 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

WVC035-112330-
/O.CON.KRLX.FF.W.0059.000000T0000Z-260711T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Jackson WV-
602 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT THIS
EVENING FOR CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY...

At 602 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms produced heavy
rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have
fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are possible in
the warned area from lighter rainfall moving into the warned area.
Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. There have
been several reports of flash flooding, mainly along route 21 in
southern Jackson County.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Ripley, Kenna, Given, Fairplain, Evans, Statts Mills and
  Cottageville.

This includes Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 123
and 143.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Report flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free,
800 401 9535, when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3862 8169 3867 8157 3891 8175 3884 8188

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

12
709 
WGUS71 KRLX 112332
FFSRLX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
732 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

WVC035-112342-
/O.EXP.KRLX.FF.W.0059.000000T0000Z-260711T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Jackson WV-
732 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY...
...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WAS REPLACED WITH A FLOOD WARNING IN
SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON COUNTY...

The heavy rain has ended. Please continue to heed remaining road
closures.

The Flash Flood Warning was replaced with a Flood Warning in
Southeastern Jackson County.

A Flood Watch remains in effect until 800 AM EDT Sunday for portions
of southeast Ohio and West Virginia.

&&

LAT...LON 3862 8169 3867 8157 3891 8175 3884 8188

$$

12

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 11, 2:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1) Flash flooding concerns spill into Sunday amid a slow departure of a cold front. Slow moving showers and storms containing heavy downpours will exacerbate already saturated soils today and Sunday. 2) Turning dry and warmer for the new week before returning to an unsettled state after Thursday.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 2:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
236 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Elected to extend the Flood Watch across parts of KY, WV, and VA
into late Sunday evening to account for the slow departure of
the cold front. Across our northern zones, flash flooding
concerns diminish after tonight, so the Watch remains on
schedule to expire Sunday morning.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Flash flooding concerns spill into Sunday amid a slow
departure of a cold front. Slow moving showers and storms
containing heavy downpours will exacerbate already saturated
soils today and Sunday.

2) Turning dry and warmer for the new week before returning to
an unsettled state after Thursday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...

Afternoon radar trends have ramped up over the past few hours
under the guise of embedded shortwave energy riding along a
west-east oriented frontal boundary draped just north of the
forecast area. This places the bulk of the Central Appalachians
within a humid and unstable environment conducive for the rapid
development of showers and storms today into this evening. These
slowly propagating cells containing heavy downpours equivalent
to 1-3"/hr will provoke already saturated soils and lead to
areas of flash flooding. There has already been evidence of
these heavy rain producers across parts of southeast Ohio as
well as our southern coalfields today, leading to several
reports of flooded roadways. Concerns for additional flash
flooding continues through the daytime hours before gradually
diminishing with the loss of daytime heating.

The quasi-stationary front will slowly propagate southward
overnight into Sunday, but will fail to make a full exodus from
the area. As a result, shower and storm coverage will appear
once more across the southern half of the CWA for Sunday
afternoon. With little to no chance for soil recovery across the
coalfields, opted to extend the Flood Watch for northeast
Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and southwest Virginia through
Sunday evening to account for the additional rainfall potential.
Our northern zones will become less susceptible to flash
flooding on Sunday in response to the southward trajectory of
the frontal boundary, allowing the current Watch to expire
Sunday morning.

KEY MESSAGE 2...

Once the frontal boundary slips southward towards the Gulf coast
beginning on Monday, drier weather takes hold amid upper level
ridging taking center stage. This feature will yield a warming
trend, returning afternoon high temperatures into the mid to
upper 90s for much of the lower elevations. Coupled with
slightly increasing moisture/humidity, heat indices nose up
into the upper 90s by midweek. Uncertainty still lies in the
latter half of the week forecast period, where periodic
disturbances bring unsettled weather back to the area.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Scattered shower and thunderstorm development is underway this
afternoon, leading to brief surface visibility restrictions.
MVFR cloud deck that has permeated over the area this morning
has begun to erode, allowing for convective development to
transpire. After sunset, storm activity will diminish and give
way to another night of IFR/LIFR potential amid low stratus,
fog, and lingering showers heading into Sunday morning. Light
and variable surface winds rule the roost through the TAF
period, but isolated thunderstorm wind gusts could nose into our
terminals this afternoon.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY...

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium.

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Restrictions in showers and storms today may
vary from the forecast. Onset timing of low stratus and fog late
tonight into Sunday morning may vary.

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       18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05
EDT 1HRLY       14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01
CRW CONSISTENCY  L    L    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    H    L
HTS CONSISTENCY  L    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    L    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    L    H    M
EKN CONSISTENCY  M    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    H    H
PKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    L
CKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    H

AFTER 18Z SUNDAY...
IFR conditions associated with showers and thunderstorms remain
possible through Sunday evening. IFR conditions are also
possible with fog and/or stratus each night and early morning,
especially across valley locations.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for WVZ005-006-013>015-
     024>026-033-034-515>518.
     Flood Watch through Sunday morning for WVZ007>011-016>020-
     027>032-039-040-519>526.
OH...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for OHZ087.
     Flood Watch through Sunday morning for OHZ067-075-076-083>086.
KY...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for KYZ101>103-105.
VA...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for VAZ003-004.

&&

DISCUSSION...05
AVIATION...05

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 11, 2:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
235 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0140 PM     Flash Flood      Anawalt                 37.34N 81.44W
07/11/2026                   McDowell           WV   Public

            High water reported across portions of
            Anawalt.

&&

JP
Local storm report, Jul 11, 2:37 PM EDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
237 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0150 PM     Flash Flood      5 SW Welch              37.39N 81.66W
07/11/2026                   McDowell           WV   Public

            Clear Fork out of its banks in Coalwood.

&&

JP
Local storm report, Jul 11, 3:29 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
329 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0320 PM     Flash Flood      1 S Anawalt             37.32N 81.44W
07/11/2026                   McDowell           WV   Public

            Tug fork out of its banks and flooding
            Otoole Rd pictures provided.

&&

JP
Local storm report, Jul 11, 3:34 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
334 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0300 PM     Flash Flood      1 SSE Anawalt           37.32N 81.44W
07/11/2026                   McDowell           WV   Public

            Tug fork out of its banks and flooding
            Jenkinjones Mountain Rd photo provided.

&&

JP
Local storm report, Jul 11, 3:37 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
337 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0315 PM     Rain             10 SE Chesterhill       39.40N 81.72W
07/11/2026  M2.00 Inch       Washington         OH   Mesonet

            Mesonet station LAYO1 10.7 NW Blennerhassett
            2 inches of rain fell in a little over 1.5
            hours.

&&

JP
Local storm report, Jul 11, 3:55 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
355 PM EDT Sat Jul 11 2026

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

0254 PM     Flash Flood      2 NE Hurley             37.44N 82.00W
07/11/2026                   Buchanan           VA   Public

            Water from Guesses Fork over Guesses Fork Rd
            in Hurley.

&&

JP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 8:47 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRLXLogan28 min
Jul 11, 11:00 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXMcDowell9 hr
Jul 11, 12:24 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXMcDowell, Wyoming8 hr
Jul 11, 2:38 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRLXPleasants, Tyler3 hr
Jul 11, 7:28 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningRLXJackson2 hr
Jul 11, 7:52 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningRLXMcDowell, Mingo3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

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.