Flash Flood in West Virginia, March 3, 1997

Showers and thunderstorms hit the western lowlands 3 separate times from the predawn of Saturday, the 1st, into midday Monday, the 2nd. Rainfall totals of 5 to 7.5 inches were measured. The southern extent of the heavy rain went from near Glenhayes of Wayne County on northeast to Madison, Marmet, Clay, and Hacker Valley. The northern edge of the heavy rain was near Parkersburg, Harrisville, and Burnsville. The heaviest rain rates were on Saturday. One to 2 inches of rain fell in just 3 hours early Saturday morning over northern and central Wayne County. These rain rates also hit northern Kanawha, northern Clay, southern Roane, southern Jackson, and southern Calhoun Counties during Saturday morning. Lulls in the rain occurred late Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. The rains on Monday morning, the 3rd, caused little additional damage. However, some of the larger streams did rise again, blocking roads that had previously been reopened. The full spectrum of flooding occurred. President Clinton declared 16 West Virginia counties a federal disaster, 15 of which were in this section of the state. The 15 include Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam, Roane, Tyler, Wayne, Wirt, and Wood. Because of population density, the highest damage estimates were from Kanawha County. All total, about 220 homes were destroyed, 550 to 600 homes received major damage. The majority of the homes affected were low income dwellings. Wayne County had the most homes destroyed with around 80 dwellings. FEMA reported around 2,000 checks for individual assistance had been distributed, amounting to about 5 million dollars. The National Guard activated about 600 people to aid in the flood clean-up. Flash flooding on small feeder creeks began before dawn in Wayne County. The most extensive flooding in Wayne County was along the lower reaches of Twelvepole Creek. Rain totals were less across extreme southern Wayne County. The water and sewage plant for the community of Wayne was damaged. Hurricane, Mill and even small Tabor Creek ripped out small private bridges. Further east, in Lincoln County, Ten Mile Creek also destroyed private bridges and flooded homes near Cuzzie. Later on the 1st, these rains caused the Mud River to flood Hamlin. By the predawn hours of Sunday, the 2nd, the Mud River was flooding homes, about 10 businesses, and an elementary school in Milton of Cabell County with 1 to 3 feet of water. In the aftermath, about 800 tons of damaged items were collected and hauled to a landfill from just this one region. Further north, small streams that feed into the Pocatalico River flooded quickly on Saturday. This included Allen Fork and Haines Branch near Sissonville and the Pocatalico Creek near Goldtown of Jackson County. Even toward the headwaters, small streams flooded around Walton of Roane County. The Big Sandy Creek basin saw severe flash flooding on Saturday and Saturday night. Flooding occurred from its headwaters around Newton, escalating around Amma, Cotton, and Osborne. A helicopter was used to rescue Amma residents from their roofs. Just to the east, Big Otter Creek flooded homes and destroyed private bridges in Clay County, from near Interstate 79 to Ivydale. This included the small tributaries of Rush Fork and Otterlick Run.The West Fork of the Little Kanawha also received this heavy rain on Saturday. This eventually flooded Orma and Arnoldsburg of Calhoun County. Homes, a few businesses and an elementary school were damaged. In response, the Elk, Pocatalico, and Little Kanawha Rivers flooded. At Sissonville, the Pocatalico River rose 26 feet in 12 hours on Saturday, cresting at over 34 feet during midday Sunday. Rescue boats were used to move people stranded by flood waters. The junior high school and many homes were flooded.Flooding occurred on the mainstem of the lower Elk River, despite Sutton Dam releasing only its minimum flow. The lake elevation at Sutton rose 66 feet in the vertical, while holding back the headwater flow for several days. The 23 foot crest at Clay caused minor flooding. The crest at Queen Shoals was 25.35 feet during the predawn hours on the 2nd. This is 5 to 6 feet above flood stage. The crest was the highest stage at Queen Shoals since the Sutton Dam was completed in 1960, and slightly higher than the March 1967 flood. In Clendenin, where the Big Sandy Creek meets the Elk River, homes and businesses were flooded. Further down the river, a high school and a private school were damaged. On the Little Kanawha River, the crest was about 4 to 6 feet above flood stage. At Glenville, the crest was 29.3 feet near dawn on the 2nd. The crest was just over 40 feet in Grantsville during midday Sunday, the 2nd. A local Grantsville reported said, "I've never seen the river come up so fast. We had cows, sheep, propane tanks, cars, and campers floating by". Evacuations took place in Creston, Elizabeth, and Burning Springs of Wirt County. The crest reached Elizabeth around 0100 EST on the 3rd. The 40 foot crest at Elizabeth flooded about 20 homes and 6 businesses in town. The crest was a record for Elizabeth, just above the March, 1967 level. A 73 year old man of the Russett-Stumptown region died late Sunday. He was walking through flood waters 1 to 2 feet deep, checking on family and friends. He was found floating in water near his home. The cause of death was ruled accidental drowning. Near the mouth of the Little Kanawha River, residents of the Happy Valley region of Wood County were flooded.On the Ohio River, flooding occurred from Parkersburg to Kenova. The rate of rise was about a half foot per hour Saturday night in the Point Pleasant to Kenova reach. The magnitude of the flooding increased below the mouth of the Hocking River. Crests were 1 to 2 feet above flood stage around Parkersburg, but 6 to 8 feet around Huntington, Cerodo, and Kenova. The crest was around 50 feet at Point Pleasant late on the 4th. The crest at Huntington was about 2 feet deep along much of the floodwall, reaching a level of 57.52 feet during the predawn hours of the 5th. This was the highest level at Huntington since March, 1955. Two hospital employees, a 38 year old male and a 44 year old female, drown during the early morning hours of the 5th. They were driving home from work, after midnight, on County Route 7, 2 miles southeast of Cerodo in Wayne County. The backwater from the Ohio River had the water of a small creek about 2 to 3 feet over the road. The 2 people drowned in their vehicle. The car and their bodies were not discovered until the evening of the 6th.