West Virginia, 2001Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 26, 2001
July 26, 2001 · NWS RLX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms were along and south of a cold front. Areas of Fayette and Raleigh Counties were just recovering from the floods on the 8th, when renewed flooding hit.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $2.4 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms were along and south of a cold front. Areas of Fayette and Raleigh Counties were just recovering from the floods on the 8th, when renewed flooding hit. Referring to the clean up and recovery, the Raleigh County emergency director said, "It's disheartening. We've probably lost 30% of what we accomplished".
What forecasters said that day
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 Jul 26, 9:15 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 9:15 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1015 AM EDT THU JUL 26 2001
FRNT THRU NRN ZNS ATT...CURRENT THINKING IS FRNT WL CONT TO MV SLWLY
S DURING THE AFTN HRS. MOIST ADIABATIC ATMS...WRM CLD DEPTH OF
13KFT...H8 SPECIFIC HUMIDITY OF 12G/KG...AND PWATS CLOSE TO 2 INCHES
POINT TO HVY DWNPRS. SO FAR RECEIVED NO REPORTS OF FLOODING WITH
THE HIGHEST VALUE OF CLOSE TO 2 INCHES IN 2HRS AT SUM. WITH RA
DEPARTING ACR SERN OH AM DROPPING THE WATCH THERE. AS FOR CRRNT
PACKAGE WL TWEAK TEMPS A TAD AND ADJUST POPS NRN TIER.
.RLX...
WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THURSDAY FOR ZONES WVZ005>011...
WVZ013>020...WVZ024>040...WVZ046>047.
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THURSDAY FOR ZONES VAZ003>004.
KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THURSDAY FOR ZONES KYZ101>103...KYZ105.
OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THURSDAY FOR ZONES OHZ086>087.
.END/
Flash Flood, Raleigh
- When
- July 26, 12:20 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Raleigh County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 37.771, -81.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rains of 3 to 4 inches were common in 12 hours, most occurring in less than 6 hours. The cooperative observer in Beckley reported a 24 hour total of 5.3 inches. A spotter in Lester measured 4.3 inches, the Beckley airport had 3.5 inches, and Dry Creek had 3.1 inches of rain. Streams in the northern and western sections of the county were hit the hardest. Four families were evacuated along Beaver Creek, a few suffered extensive water damage. Water levels along the upper Clear Fork of the Big Coal River, near Artie and Clear Fork, were higher than on the 8th. Four homes along White Oak Road had water damage. A temporary bridge was destroyed near Dorothy. The bridge had just been built, after the flood on the 8th. The lower reaches of the Clear Fork near Leevale, crested 2 to 3 feet lower, compared to the flood on the 8th. The March Fork was likely higher than on the 8th. Around 1800E, Route 3 was closed near Rock Creek by that stream.
Flash Flood, Fayette
- When
- July 26, 1:30 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fayette County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $1.5 million
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.029, -81.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rains of 2 to 4 inches fell in 12 hours, most in less than 6 hours. Oak Hill reported 2.8 inches of rain. Further south, rains of near 4 inches were likely along the Raleigh County border. Communities such as Mount Hope, Kilsyth, Glen Jean, and Pax were hardest hit. Dunloup Creek and its tributaries flooded Kilsyth and Mount Hope. Around 50 families were forced to evacuate. The City Hall in Mount Hope had 5 feet of water, compared to 3 feet on the 8th.
Flash Flood, Putnam
- When
- July 26, 1:45 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Putnam County, 2 mi SE of Hurricane
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Five homes received water damage from Buff's Branch. Water was 2 feet deep in some of these homes. A car was caught in the overflowing waters of Sycamore Creek near Nye.
Flash Flood, Nicholas
- When
- July 26, 3:30 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nicholas County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rains of 2.5 to 4.5 inches fell in less than 12 hours. Summersville Lake measured 4.2 inches, Fenwick had 3.6 inches, and Richwood reported 2.8 inches. The most significant flooding occurred west of the Route 19 corridor. The town of Swiss sustained damage to dwellings. Flooding and slides closed the roads along Twentymile Creek. Some residents along the Cherry River were evacuated, but a more significant rise would come 3 days later.
- 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.
- Lightning Strike in Florida, July 26, 20011 death · 3 injured · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, July 26 to 27, 2001$900,000 · 2 events
- Flash Flooding in Mississippi, July 26 to 27, 2001$210,000 · 4 events
- Flood in North Dakota, July 26, 2001$200,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, July 26, 2001$100,000 · 50 kt wind · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, July 26 to 27, 2001$100,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, July 26, 2001$50,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Nebraska, July 26 to 27, 2001$39,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Montana, July 26, 20012.75 in hail · 21 events
- Flash Flood in Illinois, July 26, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Kentucky, July 26, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, July 26, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
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: 5261867, 5261868, 5261869, 5261870.