Flash Flooding and Flood in West Virginia, June 19 to 20, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Flood in West Virginia, June 19 to 20, 1998
Start: 1998-06-19T02:45
End: 1998-06-20T06:00
Location: West Virginia

June 19 to 20, 1998 · NWS RLX · 13 events in 9 counties and zones

Two rounds of early morning thunderstorms caused 1 to 4 inches of rain. There were 3 maximum rain areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 1
Property damage: $801,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 RLX wrote it up.

Two rounds of early morning thunderstorms caused 1 to 4 inches of rain. There were 3 maximum rain areas. One was in the region within a West Union to Clarksburg to Weston triangle. The second rain maximum was in the headwaters of the Buckhannon River near Helvetia and Pickens. The third area of heaviest rain was around Philippi of Barbour County. The worst flooding from this episode was from the small streams, not the rivers. The hardest hit county was Lewis. The Stonecoal Creek caused 3 to 4 feet of water in downtown Weston. Willow Street was devastated according to the emergency manager. Three vehicles were swept down Willow Street at the height of the storm in Weston. The city police chief said, "The water was tossing the vehicles like toys." A fireman was injured in town when he fell down a hillside during a rescue. Around the Weston vicinity, Polk Creek flooded homes along Route 33 West. Maxwell Run had 2 to 3 feet of water in businesses, with private bridges washed out. Elsewhere in Lewis County, Leading Creek flooded the Pickle Street vicinity. Hackers Creek flooded Jane Lew with 1 foot of water on the streets. The West Fork River crested near 18 feet in Weston.In Harrison County, several roads were closed, mainly in the southern and western portion of the county. Ten Mile Creek was one such stream that blocked roads. In Barbour County, Anglins Run flooded in Philippi. One business and one home received water damage. Several county roads were blocked. In Randolph County, streams feeding the headwaters of the Tygart Valley and Middle Fork Rivers flooded. One house on the Middle Fork was surrounded by water. Route 219 was closed south of Huttonsville. In Webster County, the upper Elk River overflowed around Bergoo, causing evacuations downstream into Braxton County. However, the crest dampened as it reach the tailwaters of Sutton Lake. In Doddridge and Tyler Counties, the Middle Island Creek flooded. The heaviest rains in Doddridge County were between West Union and Big Isaac. Some private bridges were damaged. The county attempted a few evacuations.

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 140 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: June 19, 2:45 AM EST
Where: Harrison County, Reynoldsville
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.280, -80.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Lewis

When: June 19, 2:55 AM EST
Where: Lewis County, 6 mi S of Weston
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 38.950, -80.450

Trees were down at the intersection of Route 19 and Interstate 79.

Thunderstorm Wind, Barbour

When: June 19, 3:15 AM EST
Where: Barbour County, Galloway
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.230, -80.120

Trees fell across Route 76.

Flash Flood, Barbour

When: June 19, 3:30 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Barbour County, Countywide
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.133, -80.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Harrison

When: June 19, 3:30 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Harrison County, Countywide
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Tyler

When: June 19, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Tyler County, Countywide
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.465, -80.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lewis

When: June 19, 5:30 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Lewis County, Countywide
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $600,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.996, -80.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Doddridge

When: June 19, 6:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Doddridge County, Countywide
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.269, -80.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Randolph

When: June 19, 6:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Randolph County, Countywide
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.775, -79.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Pocahontas

When: June 19, 7:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Pocahontas County, Slaty Fork
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Webster

When: June 19, 7:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Webster County, Bergoo
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Harrison

When: June 19, 12:00 PM EST to June 20, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Harrison forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The West Fork River overflowed its banks in the most vulnerable areas from the West Milford vicinity on down toward Enterprise. The crest at the river forecast point near Clarksburg was 16.1 feet at 2200E on the 19th. In Clarksburg, Liberty Ave, plus Routes 195 and 25 were flooded. No homes were affected by this crest.

Flash Flood, Braxton

When: June 19, 12:30 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Braxton County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.700, -80.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
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.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in West Virginia in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, June 1998

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: 5659792, 5659793, 5659794, 5659795, 5659796, 5659259, 5659261, 5659260, 5659262, 5659263, 5659264, 5659797, 5659265.