West Virginia, 2000

Flash Flooding in West Virginia, September 2, 2000

September 2, 2000 · NWS RLX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A hot and humid day saw plenty of afternoon sunshine in the Charleston to Beckley region. Surface dew points were in the low and mid 70s.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$740,000
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 RLX wrote it up.

A hot and humid day saw plenty of afternoon sunshine in the Charleston to Beckley region. Surface dew points were in the low and mid 70s. Thunderstorms from the north and east developed inward during the late afternoon, toward Charleston. This produced localized cloudbursts. Governor Cecil Underwood declared a state of emergency in Kanawha, Raleigh, and Roane Counties. This proclamation allowed the governor to use state personnel and equipment to help in the clean-up. It took 2 weeks to clear the debris from Dupont City.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Raleigh

When
September 2, 5:30 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where
Raleigh County, Shady Spg
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.771, -81.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The cooperative observer in Beckley measured 3.1 inches of rain. About a dozen homes in Beckley received damage, with 2 homes on Harley Avenue having about 7 feet of water in their basement. Streams around Beaver and Shady Springs also flooded. Route 16 was flooded toward Mabscott. The state funded individual and family grant program had 15 applicants from Raleigh County.

Flash Flood, Roane

When
September 2, 5:50 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where
Roane County, 2 mi E of Spencer
Property damage
$75,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One resident along Boggs Run measured 3 inches of rain in just an hour. Nearby, Slate Run also flooded. Water got into basements and a number of private bridges were damaged. In the southern portion of the county, a family of 5 was trapped inside their conversion van, as water from Cottontree Run rose very rapidly. A tow truck was able to get a cable hooked to the van, just before it began to float away. The vehicle and passengers were pulled to safety. Afterwards, the tow truck had to be rescued by another tow truck. Two county dwellings had minor water damage.

Flash Flood, Kanawha

When
September 2, 5:55 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Kanawha County, 2 mi NW of Belle
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A downpour fell in the vicinity of Malden Mountain, between 1730 and 1900E. This affected the right fork of Burning Spring Branch. A resident near the junction of the 3 forks, measured 4.2 inches of rain in 90 minutes. Water flowed off the steep hillside and into a few homes along the right fork. Private culverts, that were over driveways, could not handle the water. The culverts were damaged. Water rose over these culverts, into yards and around some homes. After Burning Spring Branch flowed under Route 60, it flooded Williams Ave., First Ave., and Main Street in Dupont City. The one long culvert that goes under a drug store, had a high dirt bank around it. This prevented the water to flow over the culvert. This caused severe flooding upstream of that culvert. Homes had 3 to 4 feet of water on their lower floor. Two single family homes were destroyed. On the order of 40 to 50 homes had major to minor water damage. Nearby streams, such as Georges Creek, had minor overflow.

Flash Flood, Harrison

When
September 2, 6:15 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Harrison County, Clarksburg
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Small streams overflowed onto roads. Minor basement flooding also occurred..

Flash Flood, Boone

When
September 2, 7:30 PM EST to 8:30 PM EST
Where
Boone County, Jeffrey
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Small tributaries of Spruce Fork flooded, but caused only minor road damage.

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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, September 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: 5156367, 5156365, 5156366, 5156369, 5156368.