1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 22, 6:03 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
703 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2001
LEADING EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEASTWARD. WILL REMOVE TIMING OF ONSET RW/TRW IN NORTHEAST
COUNTIES. REST OF FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK. CONTINUE FFA.
.RLX...
WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ZONES WVZ005>011...
WVZ013>020...WVZ024>040...WVZ046>047.
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ZONES VAZ003>004.
KY...FLASH IFLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ZONES
KYZ101>103...KYZ105.
OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR ZONES
OHZ066>067...OHZ075>076...OHZ083>087.
.END/NMBVAZ003-004-WVZ010-011-015>020-024>040-046-047-221600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 500 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2001 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS OUR REGION TODAY...BRINGING TRAINING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH IT. UNSTABLE AND HUMID AIR WILL LINGER OVER OUR REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT. AS A RESULT...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...EASTWARD INTO THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS...AS WELL AS BUCHANAN AND DICKENSON COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. BOTH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY. DUE TO THE ADDITIONAL THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. .END/NMB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Rains of 1.5 to 2 inches fell over saturated ground in less than 2 hours. The sheriff reported flooding along Route 72, 611 and 83. The Clintwood cooperative observer had water in their yard and around the weather equipment. Route 621 was flooded by Georges Fork.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, 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: 5245132.