Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, August 9 to 10, 2000

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, August 9 to 10, 2000
Start: 2000-08-09T18:20
End: 2000-08-10T05:00
Location: West Virginia

August 9 to 10, 2000 · NWS RLX · 22 events in 13 counties and zones

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: $655,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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.

The second round of tall thunderstorms moved through during the evening hours, spawning a few tornadoes. The lightning activity peaked around 2000E with around 200 strikes per minute in the Huntington to Charleston region. Approximately 75,000 customers were without electricity. Luckily, the storms continued to move, resulting in just minor flash flooding. It was the 4th consecutive day with thunderstorms for many of these counties.

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When: August 9, 6:20 PM EST
Where: Mason County, Glenwood
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 38.583, -82.183

Large tree limbs and a few large trees were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When: August 9, 7:10 PM EST to 7:20 PM EST
Where: Mason County, Countywide
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.767, -82.017

Scattered locations throughout the county had reports of trees or large branches blown down.

Hail, Putnam

When: August 9, 7:10 PM EST
Where: Putnam County, Eleanor
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.533, -81.933

Golf ball size hail was observed by a spotter.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: August 9, 7:15 PM EST
Where: Jackson County, Fair Plain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.750, -81.683

Several trees and large branches were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha

When: August 9, 7:30 PM EST
Where: Kanawha County, South Charleston
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 38.333, -81.650

Large trees fell into the living room of a Spring Hill house.

Tornado, Cabell

When: August 9, 7:30 PM EST to 7:32 PM EST
Where: Cabell County, 1 mi W of Lesage
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $275,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 38.517, -82.317

The tornado that touched down in Lawrence County, Ohio crossed the Ohio River and continued another half mile in West Virginia. The region is known as Cox Landing. A roof to an apartment building was lifted off. Many large trees were fallen on a nearby golf course. A few vehicles were damaged by fallen trees or by the debris from nearby dwellings. The storm dissipated near Route 2.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha

When: August 9, 7:36 PM EST
Where: Kanawha County, (Crw) Yeager Arpt
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.367, -81.600

The wind gusted to 60 mph. This was the second strong wind gust measured at the airport on the 9th.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: August 9, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Clay County, Clay
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.467, -81.083

Large trees or branches fell across roads.

Tornado, Putnam

When: August 9, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Putnam County, 2 mi SW of Winfield
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 38.520, -81.900

State Police sighted a short lived tornado along Route 35, just down the river from the Winfield Locks. No structures were damaged. The road was littered with tree branches.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabell

When: August 9, 7:45 PM EST
Where: Cabell County, Barboursville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 38.417, -82.283

The fire department reported numerous trees were knocked down. This caused power lines to fall, resulting in a few fires.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: August 9, 8:10 PM EST to 8:20 PM EST
Where: Wayne County, Countywide
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.150, -82.433

Scattered locations throughout the county had trees or large branches blown down.

Flash Flood, Putnam

When: August 9, 8:15 PM EST to August 10, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Putnam County, Hurricane
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Small streams flooded roads and stalled vehicles in the Teays Valley region. Rains of 1 to 2 inches fell in less than an hour. Heizer and Manila Creeks also flooded in the eastern portion of the county.

Tornado, Lincoln

When: August 9, 8:20 PM EST
Where: Lincoln County, 2 mi NW of Branchland
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 38.233, -82.217

Trees were chopped off midway up their trunk, plus bark was peeled off of other trees. Dwellings suffered roof damage. At least 2 mobile homes were destroyed along Peyton Branch Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When: August 9, 8:25 PM EST
Where: Lincoln County, Griffithsville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.233, -81.983

A house sustained roof damage.

Flash Flood, Jackson

When: August 9, 8:30 PM EST to August 10, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Jackson County, Kenna
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streams overflowed across southern portions of the county. Pocatalico Creek flooded a few homes along Route 21.

Flash Flood, Mason

When: August 9, 8:30 PM EST to August 10, 1:30 AM EST
Where: Mason County, Apple Grove
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.770, -82.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streams flooded across southern portions of the county, after 2 to 3 inches of rain. Jerrys Run flooded Route 37.

Flash Flood, Roane

When: August 9, 8:30 PM EST to 10:30 PM EST
Where: Roane County, Walton
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The headwaters of the Pocatalico River and its small tributaries flooded. A few porches and outbuildings were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicholas

When: August 9, 8:45 PM EST
Where: Nicholas County, Countywide
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.317, -80.817

Scattered locations throughout the county had large trees or branches knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When: August 9, 8:45 PM EST
Where: Boone County, 2 mi S of Danville
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.050, -81.833

Large tree branches were blown down.

Flash Flood, Kanawha

When: August 9, 9:00 PM EST to August 10, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Kanawha County, 3 mi NW of Sissonville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Allen Fork flooded and blocked roads. One house had 1 to 2 feet of water in its garage. Minor overflow occurred elsewhere in the county. Lastly, the Pocatalico River crested near dawn, with minor flooding to low lying roads, but not dwellings.

Thunderstorm Wind, Raleigh

When: August 9, 9:15 PM EST
Where: Raleigh County, Beckley
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.783, -81.183

Fallen trees caused power outages. Radio stations were knocked off the air.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wyoming

When: August 9, 9:30 PM EST
Where: Wyoming County, Ravencliff
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 37.700, -81.483

Large tree branches were blown down.

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
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

Every storm in West Virginia in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history The tornado archive for West Virginia, 2000 Warnings in West Virginia, August 2000

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: 5171880, 5171884, 5171885, 5171883, 5171881, 5172169, 5171882, 5171886, 5171887, 5171888, 5172261, 5172267, 5172260, 5172262, 5172263, 5172265, 5172266, 5172268, 5172269, 5172264, 5172271, 5172270.