Flooding in West Virginia, January 20 to 22, 1996

Prior to a rain, the extensive snow cover in the western lowlandshad melted during the prior 5 days. Only patches of snow remainedin the wooded areas. Yet, 10 to 20 inches of snow remained overthe mountainous counties. The water content of that remainingsnow was 2 to 3 inches. On Thursday the 18th, temperatures aheadof a cold front rose into the 50s and 60s. Dew points climbedinto the 50s. Meanwhile, the winds increased. Thus, the remaining mountain snow was melting rapidly as rain approached. Six hour rainfall of 1.25 to 1.75 inches was common late Thursday night,the 18th, into the predawn hours of Friday, the 19th. Heavier rain fell in northern Pocahontas County and the highlands of Randolph County. Rain amounts of 2 to 2.8 inches were measured around Snowshoe, Glady, Seneca State Forest, and Bartow. A spotter at Minnehaha Springs measured 2.8 inches of rain. Maximum estimated runoff of 4 to 6 inches occurred over the upper reaches of the Greenbrier River and the headwaters of the Shavers Fork.Minor small stream flooding was common across Lincoln, Kanawha,Harrison, Lewis, Doddridge, Taylor, Braxton, Fayette, Raleigh,and Tyler Counties. Moderate to major small stream floodingoccurred across Pocahontas, Randolph, Webster, Nicholas, Barbour,and Upshur counties. Leatherbark Creek and its small feederruns did extensive erosion damage to the track bed of theCass Railroad. Damage along Knapps Creek in eastern Marlintonwas more severe than during the flood of November, 1985.Headwater rivers rose quickly. The worst damage was alongthe Greenbrier River. The forecast point at Buckeye crestedat 21 feet around 1400 EST on the 19th. This was around 2feet lower than during the November 1985 flood. Many elderlypeople were trapped on their second floor in Marlinton. Waterwas 4 to 7 feet deep in the downtown business area of Marlinton.The local grocery store had $60,000 of inventory destroyed.East Cass had 2 to 3 feet of water, damaging 15 homes. Over300 individuals applied for federal assistance in PocahontasCounty alone. Other headwater rivers to reach flood stage include theTygart Valley at both Belington and Philippi, the LittleKanawha at Glenville, the Gauley at Camden, and the Elkat Queens Shoals. Yet, damage was less severe.On the headwaters of the Elk River, small communities suchas Bergoo, Curtin, and Cherry Falls were flooded, along withthe town of Webster Springs. In the Richwood vicinity ofNicholas County, the Cherry River flooded homes in the Johnstownand Riverside Addition. A 69 year old Richwood man, withprevious heart problems, died while working on a sump dump.Along the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, flood water damagedmobile homes and campers, especially at Bowden of RandolphCounty.Later, the Ohio River crested above flood stage at most pointsbetween Willow Island and Huntington. The crest was 4 to 5feet above flood stage around Parkersburg, but dampened to1 or 2 feet above flood stage near Huntington. The smallertowns such as Friendly, Sistersville, and St Marys sustainedmore flooding compared to down river at Huntington. The Corpsof Engineers flood control projects held water back from the mainstem Ohio River, causing this reduction down river. The crest at Parkersburg was 40.7 feet, at Point Pleasant 47.6 feet, and 51.9 feet at Huntington. All three cities installed some of their flood gates along the floodwall. The last time the Ohio River was higher along the Point Pleasant to Huntington reach was in February, 1979 when the crest was 1 to 2 higher. In Parkersburg, the 1979 flood was of about the same magnitude as the current crest.The counties of Mason, Nicholas, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Randolph,Tyler, Webster, and Wood were declared disaster areas byPresident Clinton. Around 300 homes had major damage, themost being in Pocahontas County.