West Virginia, 1997

Flash Flooding in West Virginia, November 7, 1997

November 7, 1997 · NWS LWX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

S. coast generated a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rains over portions of eastern West Virginia for most of the day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

Slowly developing low pressure off the southeast U.S. coast generated a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rains over portions of eastern West Virginia for most of the day. Rainfall averaging 2 to 4 inches, with localized totals between 4 and 6 inches at higher elevations, caused minor flooding of creeks and small streams. Several secondary roads were closed in the area, most due to swollen creeks but a few others from high standing water.Most of the closed roads were concentrated in Hampshire, northern Hardy, and Berkeley cos. As a pre-emptive measure, schools closed during the early afternoon in Hardy and Hampshire Cos.Rain tapered off during the late afternoon west of Shenandoah Mountain and during the evening in the panhandle. From the overnight hours through the following evening (the 8th), larger creeks remained in flood; namely the Opequon Creek which travels through Berkeley Co and the city of Martinsburg.

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Berkeley

When
November 7, 12:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Berkeley County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.464, -78.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Hardy

When
November 7, 1:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Hardy County, North Portion
Coordinates
39.008, -78.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Hampshire

When
November 7, 1:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Hampshire County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.317, -78.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Morgan

When
November 7, 1:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Morgan County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.560, -78.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jefferson

When
November 7, 1:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Jefferson County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.308, -77.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, November 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5623136, 5623137, 5623138, 5623139, 5623140.