Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 337, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT for 8 counties in West Virginia. It was in force for 45 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 16, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT (01:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 16, 2026, 9:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Braxton County, WV, Clay County, WV, Fayette County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, Pocahontas County, WV, Raleigh County, WV, Randolph County, WV, Webster County, WV
The radar
The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:01 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 1:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 9 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 164 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1901 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1102 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 37 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 71 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 4.2
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 16, 7:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- 1) Flash flooding and severe weather are expected today with a lingering, persistent active weather pattern. Repeated rounds of heavy rainfall from training showers and thunderstorms could rapidly lead to flash flooding, especially areas that are already saturated and inundated.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 7:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
732 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been extended until 10pm.
Areas to the west may be cleared/cancelled as convection exits
toward the east as the storms move out of those areas.
00Z Aviation Forecast Discussion update.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been extended further south as
ongoing severe weather persists. The watch still goes until 8pm
however may have to be extended in time soon. The northern tier
of the watch has been cancelled as the severe threat has
diminished.
136 PM Update...
Severe thunderstorm watch issued for all of our SE Ohio
counties and a bulk of our West Virginia counties until 8 PM
tonight. ~18z aviation discussion update.
1204 PM Update...
Updates on flash flooding and severe potential for today and
tonight.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Flash flooding and severe weather are expected today with a
lingering, persistent active weather pattern. Repeated rounds of
heavy rainfall from training showers and thunderstorms could
rapidly lead to flash flooding, especially areas that are
already saturated and inundated.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...
136 PM Update...
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect in til 8 PM tonight.
This is for all of our southeastern Ohio and a majority of our
West Virginia counties, basically the I-64 corridor and north.
Lincoln, Boone, and Raleigh are also included. Seeing generous
convection forming across our western forecast area with
downburst wind gusts reaching the 40-50 mph range as reported by
a few ASOS sites. Expecting these storms to hold together and
even strengthen as they traverse the area ESEward.
The best wind dynamics will be situated across SE'rn Ohio and
northern West Virginia (especially the US-50 corridor) where
better wind shear (20-40 knots) is present. Rapid clearing is
occurring over the central lowlands and coalfields which will
build better instability through the afternoon. This will be
another area to watch later this afternoon and evening.
1204 PM Update...
Flash flooding concerns continue through tonight. Additional
rounds of showers and thunderstorms will move across the area
this afternoon and evening leading to additional or worsening
flooding. ~12z HRRR shows the next round forming to our west in
Ohio and subsequently moving west to east across our area later
this afternoon and evening. The ~12z NAM is concerning as it
shows the next round forming over Ohio and then tracking across
our area between 1 PM and 3 PM, offering only a small break
between our most recent deluge. It then shows another hefty
round later this evening through tonight.
Some of these storms could be on the strong to severe side
containing damaging wind gusts and of course heavy downpours. CAPE
is expected to be between 2,500 and 3,500 J/kg if timely clearing
occurs this afternoon. This is more than sufficient to spawn
widespread showers and thunderstorms, with scattered strong to
severe storms being a possibility.
There is the chance for a tornado or two to occur with any more
organized, clear-air storms. The main driver for this threat would
be if an additional surface low forms along the stationary front
currently bisecting the area. This would cause a backing in the wind
field increasing wind shear from 20-30 knots to at least 40-60
knots. Otherwise, damaging downburst winds and the heavy rainfall
will be the main concerns.
Current guidance suggests that at least another 1-2 inches of
rainfall will fall across the area through tonight. Locally higher
amounts between 3-5 inches could be possible somewhere in Ohio or
central/northern WV if the NAM solution is right. A flood watch goes
until 8 AM Monday to cover the likely additional flash flooding
later this afternoon through tonight. A rare moderate risk
(level 3/4) for excessive rainfall spans the bulk of WV with the
rest of the area in a slight risk (level 2/4).
Showers and thunderstorms are expected again for Monday, but the
severe threat and primary heavy rain threat shifts south of our
area as a cold front crosses. A marginal risk (level 1/4) for
excessive rainfall is still in place across our area for Monday
with a marginal risk (level 1/5) for severe weather covers our
VA and far southern WV counties.
A bit of a reprieve is expected behind this front for Tuesday
and Wednesday until another front crosses Thursday.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Occasional MVFR and VIS restrictions under heavy convection
across the area currently. This will persist into tonight.
Expect fog to develop even with a little wind due to saturated
soils and partly clearing out of CIGs. Expect low stratus at
sites as well into the mid to late morning. Any fog or stratus
will lift at 13/14Z then low MVFR CIGs will persist into the
afternoon.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY...
FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Low.
ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing and location of showers and
thunderstorms will 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.
DATE MON
UTC 1HRLY 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
EDT 1HRLY 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06
CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H M L L M M L H
HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H M M H M
EKN CONSISTENCY H H M H M H M L M M M M
PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H M H H H H H
CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H M H L M M L L
AFTER 00Z TUESDAY...
IFR or lower possible in valley fog and low stratus Monday
night and Tuesday morning.
&&
.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...Flood Watch through Monday morning for WVZ005>011-013>020-
024>032-034-039-040-515>526.
OH...Flood Watch through Monday morning for OHZ066-067-075-076-
083>087.
KY...Flood Watch through Monday morning for KYZ101>103-105.
VA...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...JZ/LTC
AVIATION...JZIn the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 16, 8:24 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
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</html>Special weather statement, Aug 16, 8:32 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Aug 16, 8:56 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
856 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0817 PM Flash Flood 1 NNE Charleston 38.36N 81.62W
08/16/2026 Kanawha WV 911 Call Center
Flooding at Crescent Road and Garrison
Avenue.
&&Special weather statement, Aug 16, 8:57 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
857 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026
WVZ014-015-170130-
Kanawha WV-Putnam WV-
857 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN KANAWHA AND CENTRAL
PUTNAM COUNTIES THROUGH 930 PM EDT...
At 857 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Winfield, moving east at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Charleston, Nitro, Winfield, Jefferson, South Charleston, St. Albans,
Dunbar, Hurricane, Sissonville, Eleanor, Poca, Cross Lanes,
Institute, Teays Valley, and Bancroft.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 100 and 114.
Interstate 64 in West Virginia between mile markers 35 and 57.
Route 119 between mile markers 76 and 80.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for
central and western West Virginia.
&&
LAT...LON 3845 8203 3857 8197 3852 8152 3830 8165
TIME...MOT...LOC 0057Z 291DEG 36KT 3849 8188
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
04The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 8:04 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo | 41 min |
| Aug 16, 8:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas and 1 more | 45 min |
| Aug 16, 8:16 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Wayne | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 8:21 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Pleasants, Wood | 39 min |
| Aug 16, 8:28 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Nicholas, Webster | 32 min |
| Aug 16, 8:32 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Logan, Mingo, Raleigh, Wyoming | 43 min |
| Aug 16, 8:45 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur | 45 min |
| Aug 16, 8:57 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Putnam | 33 min |
| Aug 16, 9:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Pocahontas, Randolph and 2 more | 50 min |
| Aug 16, 9:15 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | McDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming | 45 min |
| Aug 16, 9:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Pocahontas, Randolph | 51 min |
| Aug 16, 9:27 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Nicholas, Pocahontas, Randolph, Webster | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 9:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Pocahontas, Randolph | 46 min |
| Aug 16, 9:35 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Nicholas and 1 more | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 9:45 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur | 6 hr |
| Aug 16, 9:55 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | McDowell | 20 min |
| Aug 16, 10:14 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | McDowell | 16 min |
| Aug 16, 10:24 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Cabell, Mason, Putnam | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 10:38 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Kanawha, Putnam | 7 hr |
| Aug 16, 10:53 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas | 6 hr |
| Aug 17, 3:24 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur | 4 hr |
| Aug 17, 5:58 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Randolph | 6 hr |
| Aug 17, 1:53 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Pleasants, Tyler | 7 hr |
| Aug 17, 2:41 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Doddridge, Harrison, Tyler | 6 hr |
| Aug 17, 2:55 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Doddridge, Harrison, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler | 6 hr |
| Aug 17, 3:32 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Barbour, Harrison, Taylor | 5 hr |
| Aug 17, 3:49 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Wirt, Wood | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 4:07 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Barbour, Harrison, Taylor | 5 hr |
| Aug 17, 4:20 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Barbour, Harrison, Taylor | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 4:28 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Lewis, Ritchie and 1 more | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 5:08 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Webster | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 5:18 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Webster | 27 min |
| Aug 17, 5:34 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Wood | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 6:04 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Braxton, Gilmer, Randolph, Upshur, Webster | 2 hr |
| Aug 17, 7:44 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Jackson, Roane | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 10:06 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Athens, Meigs, Vinton | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 1:13 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Morgan | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 1:15 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Washington | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 5:02 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | RLX | Washington | 21 hr |
| Aug 17, 5:22 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RLX | Athens, Morgan, Washington | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 6:19 PM EDT | River Flood Warning | RLX | Morgan, Washington | 3 hr |
| Aug 17, 6:20 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Athens, Meigs, Vinton | 70 min |
| Aug 16, 9:17 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RLX | Carter | 28 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2026Every severe thunderstorm 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.