8 flash flood, 3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 8:50 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 950 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001 WILL NOT BE CANCELLING FLASH FLOOD WATCH AFTER ALL. NEW DEVELOPMENT ACROSS WESTERN CWA HAS PUT THE KABOSH ON THE CANCELLATION. WILL GET ZFP OUT ASAP. .RLX... WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TIL 12Z FRI FOR ZONES WVZ005>009...WVZ013>018...WVZ024>027...WVZ033>037. VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TIL 12Z FRI FOR VAZ003>004. KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TIL 12Z FRI FOR ZONES KYZ101>103...KYZ105. OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TIL 12Z FRI FOR FOR ZONES OHZ066>067...OHZ075>076...OHZ083>087. .END/CL
ZCZC CRWLSRRLX DEF
TTAA00 KCRW DDHHMM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
0553 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0537 PM WINFIELD WV .50 INCH HAIL
05/17/01 PUTNAM EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
0522 PM AND 0537 PM
0558 PM SPENCER WV .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01 ROANE EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
I 0543 PM AND 0558 PMZCZC CRWLSRRLX DEF
TTAA00 KCRW DDHHMM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
0607 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0606 PM SPENCER WV PEA SIZE HAIL
05/17/01 ROANE EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
0551 PM AND 0606 PM
0554 PM SPENCER WV .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01 ROANE EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
0539 PM AND 0554 PMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
0646 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0629 PM PRINCETON WV PEA SIZE HAIL
05/17/01 MERCER EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
0614 PM AND 0629 PM
0647 PM COWEN WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 WEBSTER TREES DOWN.
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
s 0632 PM AND 0647 PMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON, WV
653 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0550 PM HERNSHAW WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 KANAWHA RT 94 NEAR HERNSHAW POWER
LINES DOWN. HILLSIDE ON
FIRE. REPORTED BY 911
DISPATCH
0515 PM 4 W ELIZABETH WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 WIRT TREES DOWN IN TUCKERS
CREEK AREA. REPORTED BY
WIRT COUNTY OES
0520 PM 5 E ELIZABETH WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 WIRT TREES DOWN ALONG RT 5.
REPORTED BY WIRT COUTNY OES
0535 PM 3 W RACINE WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 BOONE TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES
NEAR COSTA. REPORTED BY
BOONE COUNTY OES
0610 PM BECKLEY WV
05/17/01 RALEIGH HALF INCH HAIL. REPORTED
BY SPOTTERS
0600 PM 5 NE CLAY WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 CLAY LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN IN
IVYDALE. REPORTED BY CLAY
COUNTY OES
0635 PM COWEN WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 WEBSTER TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
911 DISPATCH
0600 PM GAULEY BRIDGE WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 FAYETTE NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY FAYETTE COUNTY
OES
0600 PM ANSTED WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
FAYETTE COUNTY OES
0600 PM SMITHERS WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 FAYETTE ELECTRIC POLES AND POWER
LINES DOWN. REPORTED BY
FAYETTE COUNTY OES
PCZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON, WV
714 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0610 PM 3 W BECKLEY WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 RALEIGH TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES
IN ECCLES. REPORTED BY 911
DISPATCH
0636 PM SERVIA WV WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 BRAXTON POWER LINES DOWN. REPORTED
BY BRAXTON COUNTY COMMS
CENTERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
739 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0500 PM WARNOCK KY WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01 GREENUP SPOTTER 1 MILE WEST OF
WARNOCK REPORTED TWO LARGE
TREES...ROOTS AND ALL DOWN
ALONG WITH SEVERAL LARGE
LIMBS.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 flash flood, 3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Washington, Decatur, Symmes, and Mason Townships had 1 to 2.5 inches of rain over saturated soils.
Streams flooded roads in Greenfield, Walnut, and Guyan Townships. A cooperative observer west of Patriot measured a 24 hour rainfall of 3.2 inches.
Rains of 1.5 to 2.5 inches fell in less than 3 hours over saturated grounds. Streams such as Pigeon Creek and Sugar Run overflowed over roads. Urban flooding also occurred. From the 15th thru the 18th the city of Jackson had 5.5 inches of rain.
Minor stream flooding occurred in the southern portion of the county, including the headwaters of the Shade River. Roads were flooded, but no dwellings were damaged.
Streams flooded and blocked roads, including Route 50, in the central and southern portion of the county. Ohio state officials reported 2 homes with minor damage, plus damage to roads, in Richland Township.
A supercell developed over the county, ahead of the main area of showers and thunderstorms.
Large tree branches were knocked down.
Trees and large branches fell along Route 143.
Several trees were knocked down.
Another round of thunderstorms fell over saturated soils. Near Patriot, another 2 inches of rain was measured. According to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, 4 homes had minor damage. There was damage to county roads, culverts, and bridges.
For the 2 rounds of flash flooding in Lawrence County, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency reported 6 mobile homes and 2 single family dwellings were destroyed. Minor damage was sustained by 4 homes. One church had major damage. A resident along Kimble Creek said, "I never saw water like this here before, not in the 57 years I've lived here." Route 93 was damaged. Several residents had private bridges damaged or washed away, leaving them stranded. Along Symmes Creek near Aid, residents reported water about a foot lower than in March of 1997. The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners later declared a local state of emergency. About a dozen families asked the American Red Cross for assistance.
Rains of 1.5 to 2 inches fell in 2 hours over wet ground, causing streams to flood in the western portion of the county. Some dwelling around Longsville and Rutland were affected by the high waters from Leading and Little Leading Creeks.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2001
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: 5245220, 5245296, 5245224, 5245222, 5245223, 5245455, 5245226, 5245227, 5245228, 5245454, 5245229, 5245219, 5245221, 5245225.