Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 89, NWS Charleston, WV

July 21, 2026Washington County, Ohio; Pleasants County, Ritchie County, Wood County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 21, 2026, 4:50 PM EDT for Washington County, Ohio; Pleasants County, Ritchie County, Wood County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr. 4 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 21, 2026, 4:50 PM EDT (20:50 UTC)
Expired: Jul 21, 2026, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Washington County, OH, Pleasants County, WV, Ritchie County, WV, Wood County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:54 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 21, 5:52 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Sse Pennsboro, WV	Pullman Drive reported flooded.
Jul 21, 5:52 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Sse Pennsboro, WV	Pullman Drive reported flooded.
Jul 21, 6:10 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Sse Pennsboro, WV	High water in the 12000 block of Pullman Dr.
Jul 21, 6:10 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Sse Pennsboro, WV	High water in the 12000 block of Pullman Dr.

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 62 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 147 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 538 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 856 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 131 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

835 
WGUS51 KRLX 212050
FFWRLX
OHC167-WVC073-085-107-212345-
/O.NEW.KRLX.FF.W.0089.260721T2050Z-260721T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Charleston WV
450 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Washington County in southeastern Ohio...
  Pleasants County in northwestern West Virginia...
  Northern Ritchie County in northwestern West Virginia...
  Northeastern Wood County in northwestern West Virginia...

* Until 745 PM EDT.

* At 450 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 of 0.5 to 1 inch are
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected
  to begin shortly.

  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...
  Marietta, St. Marys, Williamstown, Pennsboro, Belmont, Boaz,
  Newport, Ellenboro, Willow Island, Schultz, Waverly, Maxwell,
  Devola, Pike, Highland and Hebron.

This includes the following highways...
Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 184 and 186.
Interstate 77 in Ohio between mile markers 1 and 5. Route 50 in West
Virginia between mile markers 36 and 45.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3941 8167 3953 8165 3951 8155 3936 8101
      3934 8100 3935 8098 3934 8096 3935 8095
      3933 8089 3930 8089 3927 8091 3925 8090
      3922 8093

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

30

1 follow-up statement

225 
WGUS71 KRLX 212343
FFSRLX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
743 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

OHC167-WVC073-085-107-212353-
/O.EXP.KRLX.FF.W.0089.000000T0000Z-260721T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Washington OH-Pleasants WV-Ritchie WV-Wood WV-
743 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 745 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR
CENTRAL WASHINGTON, PLEASANTS, NORTHERN RITCHIE AND NORTHEASTERN WOOD
COUNTIES...

Please continue to heed remaining road closures as creeks and streams
will continue to run high tonight.

A Flood Watch remains in effect until 200 AM EDT Wednesday for
portions of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia,
and West Virginia.

&&

LAT...LON 3941 8167 3953 8165 3951 8155 3936 8101
      3934 8100 3935 8098 3934 8096 3935 8095
      3933 8089 3930 8089 3927 8091 3925 8090
      3922 8093

$$

30

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 21, 1:36 PM EDT, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

1) Severe storms expected this afternoon and early evening.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 1:36 PM EDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
136 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
No significant changes were necessary at this time.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
- 1) Severe storms expected this afternoon and early evening.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...

Mid level shortwave energy will dive south into the area into the
afternoon hours, followed by a cold front late this evening into the
overnight. As a cluster of elevated convection associated with this
shortwave approaches our area, it will encounter a very moist and
unstable environment, with convection becoming more surface based as
it enters our CWA. CAPE values progged to approach 2000 to 4000
J/kg, and increasing shear values of 40 to 60 kts in the 0-6km
layer, will result in potential for storms to become organized.
Damaging winds are the primary hazard, with convection potentially
organizing into lines/bowing segments, but with that being said,
there is a tornado threat as well, with low LCL heights less than
1500m and 0-3km SRH greater than 250.

Timing of the severe activity is difficult to pinpoint, but appears
most should occur in the afternoon to early/mid evening hours, with
an additional round of convection expected with the front later
tonight. It's possible some of this convection associated with the
front could be low end severe, but with loss of heating, and any
effects earlier convection has on the overall environment,
confidence isn't high.

Lastly, with any storms that occur, flash flooding is a possibility,
with the overall anomalously high PW are that continues to remain in
place. This should mainly be a threat in locations that receive
repetitive rounds of convection.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...

Scattered showers and storms through at least 06Z when a
decrease in intensity and coverage should be noted. Storms will
be capable of brief IFR/LIFR or worse conditions, and strong
damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado and large hail.

After 06Z, expect widespread IFR/LIFR fog and/or stratus, with a
gradual improvement to VFR with light surface winds expected
after 13Z to 15Z.

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

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Impacts due to thunderstorms could vary,
including timing and worse impacts than forecast. Fog and/or
stratus late tonight and Wednesday morning may be worse than
currently 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       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  M    M    M    M    M    L    H    H    M    M    H    H
HTS CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M    M    M    L    L
BKW CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    M    M    M    H    M    H    H    H    H
EKN CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    M    M    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
PKB CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    H    H    H    M    H    H    H    H    H
CKB CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    M    H    H    H    H    H    M    H    H

AFTER 18Z WEDNESDAY...
IFR valley fog each morning through Friday.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...Flood Watch through late tonight for WVZ005>011-013>020-
     024>034-039-040-515>523-525-526.
OH...Flood Watch through late tonight for OHZ067-075-076-083>087.
KY...Flood Watch through late tonight for KYZ101>103-105.
VA...Flood Watch through late tonight for VAZ003-004.

&&

DISCUSSION...SL
AVIATION...SL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
310 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

1212 PM     Flash Flood      3 WSW Jacksonville      39.47N 82.13W
07/21/2026                   Athens             OH   911 Call Center

            Approximately three feet of water and a land
            slide on ST RTE 685 halfway between Buchtel
            and Redtown.

&&

HS

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
332 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

0253 PM     Flash Flood      5 WSW Buckhannon        38.96N 80.31W
07/21/2026                   Upshur             WV   911 Call Center

            Stonecoal Lake Road flooded and a vehicle is
            stranded.

&&

JLB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
335 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

0328 PM     Flash Flood      3 S Buckhannon          38.95N 80.22W
07/21/2026                   Upshur             WV   Broadcast Media

            Hickory Flat Run is out of its banks near
            Walnut Drive.

&&

JLB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:56 PM EDT, 54 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
356 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

0235 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 ESE North Hills       39.30N 81.46W
07/21/2026                   Wood               WV   911 Call Center

            Tree down near the church on Old Saint Marys
            Pike. Time estimated from radar.

&&

JLB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:58 PM EDT, 52 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
358 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

1235 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 ESE North Hills       39.30N 81.46W
07/21/2026                   Wood               WV   911 Call Center

            Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 3
            ESE North Hills. Tree down near the church
            on Old Saint Marys Pike. Time estimated from
            radar.

&&

JLB

Local storm report, Jul 21, 4:43 PM EDT, 7 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
443 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

0235 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 SSE Buckhannon        38.92N 80.21W
07/21/2026                   Upshur             WV   911 Call Center

            Tree down on Trubie Run Road. Time estimated
            from radar.

&&

JLB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 21, 3:59 AM EDT	Flood Watch	RLX	Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Morgan and 2 more	22 hr
Jul 21, 11:29 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Morgan	46 min
Jul 21, 11:47 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Athens, Morgan, Washington	28 min
Jul 21, 12:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Athens, Washington	43 min
Jul 21, 12:32 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Athens	4 hr
Jul 21, 12:48 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Washington	4 hr
Jul 21, 1:18 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Washington	3 hr
Jul 21, 1:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Lawrence	38 min
Jul 21, 2:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Lawrence	39 min
Jul 21, 2:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Perry	23 min
Jul 21, 2:59 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Morgan	18 min
Jul 21, 3:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Morgan, Perry	36 min
Jul 21, 3:29 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Washington	31 min
Jul 21, 3:37 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Perry	4 hr
Jul 21, 3:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Morgan, Perry, Washington	65 min
Jul 21, 3:53 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Washington	37 min
Jul 21, 3:59 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Morgan, Perry, Washington	4 hr
Jul 21, 4:15 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Washington	4 hr
Jul 21, 4:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Vinton	51 min
Jul 21, 4:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Washington	46 min
Jul 21, 4:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Lawrence	54 min
Jul 21, 4:37 PM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	RLX	Washington	27 min
Jul 21, 5:12 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Lawrence	3 hr
Jul 21, 5:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Gallia, Lawrence	49 min
Jul 21, 6:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Lawrence	36 min
Jul 21, 6:22 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Lawrence	23 min
Jul 21, 6:39 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Lawrence	3 hr
Jul 21, 7:56 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	RLX	Morgan, Perry, Washington	9 hr
Jul 21, 4:20 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Barbour, Upshur	40 min
Jul 21, 1:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Calhoun, Doddridge, Ritchie, Wirt, Wood	38 min
Jul 21, 1:30 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Calhoun, Gilmer, Ritchie	30 min
Jul 21, 1:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Gilmer, Lewis	36 min
Jul 21, 2:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Lewis, Upshur	60 min
Jul 21, 2:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam	31 min
Jul 21, 2:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Randolph, Upshur	50 min
Jul 21, 3:27 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning Emergency	RLX	Lewis, Randolph, Upshur	11 hr
Jul 21, 3:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Pocahontas, Randolph	47 min
Jul 21, 4:17 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Doddridge, Tyler	17 min
Jul 21, 4:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Doddridge, Harrison, Tyler	48 min
Jul 21, 4:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Doddridge, Harrison, Lewis, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler	52 min
Jul 21, 5:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Barbour, Harrison, Taylor	37 min
Jul 21, 5:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Upshur	56 min
Jul 21, 5:35 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RLX	Barbour, Taylor	25 min
Jul 21, 5:38 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Ritchie and 3 more	7 hr
Jul 21, 5:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Barbour, Randolph, Taylor	31 min
Jul 21, 5:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Lewis, Ritchie	34 min
Jul 21, 6:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Barbour, Randolph	67 min
Jul 21, 6:15 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Ritchie	7 hr
Jul 21, 6:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur and 1 more	55 min
Jul 21, 6:43 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Barbour, Lewis, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur	7 hr
Jul 21, 6:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Cabell, Lincoln, Putnam, Wayne	47 min
Jul 21, 6:57 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	RLX	Lewis, Upshur	6 hr
Jul 21, 6:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln	48 min
Jul 21, 7:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur and 1 more	66 min
Jul 21, 7:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Mingo, Wayne	47 min
Jul 21, 7:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Putnam	23 min
Jul 21, 7:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln	31 min
Jul 21, 7:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wayne	35 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 2026 Flash Flood Warnings in Ohio, 2026 Every 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.