West Virginia, 2001Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 29, 2001
July 29, 2001 · NWS RLX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones
The last onslaught of heavy July rain fell in waves during Saturday, the 28th, and Sunday, the 29th. The heaviest rain on the 28th was generally from the Charleston vicinity on east, into Nicholas County.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.3 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
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 last onslaught of heavy July rain fell in waves during Saturday, the 28th, and Sunday, the 29th. The heaviest rain on the 28th was generally from the Charleston vicinity on east, into Nicholas County. Heavier rain fell again on the 29th. The most rain, over these 2 days, fell over the Gauley and Meadow River basins. Rain totals for the 48 hours were 6.1 inches at Mount Nebo, 5.8 inches at Summersville Lake, and 5.5 inches at Richwood. The cooperative observer from Mount Nebo described this event as, "big time flooding". Nicholas County was added to the FEMA disaster declaration 1378. The Meadow River near Mount Lookout crested Sunday evening the 29th at 13.92 feet, about a half foot higher than the old record crest set back on March 7, 1967. The Cranberry River near Richwood crested at 11.09 feet, the highest since August 21, 1989. The record crest there is 12.2 feet, set back on July 19, 1954. During the night of the 29th into the 30th, the lower reaches of the Gauley River at Belva crested at 19.09 feet. That was the highest stage at Belva since the 20.02 feet back on January 29, 1957. On the 30th, the crest passed Charleston, with a stage of 23.6 feet. The runoff from Boone and western Raleigh Counties caused the lower Coal River to crest at 23.1 feet at Tornado. The monthly rain totals for July were 15.15 inches at Hawks Nest State Park in Fayette County. Summersville Lake had 14.7 inches during July. Oak Hill and Richwood both measured around 14.3 inches during the month. Mount Nebo had 13.9 inches, while downtown Beckley received 13.1 inches. Dry Creek of western Raleigh County had a monthly rain total of 11.6 inches.
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 29, 2:19 AM EST, 6 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 2:19 AM EST, 6 hours 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
319 AM EDT SUN JUL 29 2001
...FLOODING STILL A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY...
ON THE LATEST WEATHER MAP...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER
WISCONSIN WITH A STATIONARY FRONT CURVING ACROSS WESTERN OHIO...
WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA AND EXTREME EASTERN TENNESSEE TO THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST. AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE...CENTERED OVER THE NEW
ENGLAND STATES...EXTENDS TO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. KRLX SHOWS
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION.
THE ONGOING CONVECTION APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF A WEAK MID-LEVEL
SHORTWAVE TROF WHICH IS MOVING ACROSS REGION. THE MODELS ALSO
INDICATE DECENT ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE ON 305K SURFACE. THIS UPGLIDE IS
PROGGED TO MOVE WEAKEN DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
MODELS THEN INDICATE A STRONGER MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF...WHICH IS
CURRENTLY SUPPORTING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL INDIANA
INTO MISSOURI...WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. A RESULTANT SURFACE
LOW AND TRAILING TROF IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MOVE BY TODAY. THESE
FEATURES SHOULD COMBINE TO PRODUCE DECENT UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION...
WHICH WILL INTERACT WITH THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO RESULT IN NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE 00Z PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUE AT KILN
SHOWED 2.03 INCHES WITH VALUES SOUTH AND WEST ALSO ABOVE 2 INCHES.
COMBINATION OF THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND THESE FEATURES WILL ALSO
RESULT IN THE THREAT OF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WITH SOME OF THE STORMS.
THE GROUND ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION IS QUITE WET AND THE THREAT OF
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL SUGGESTS A DISTINCT THREAT OF FLOODING
TODAY. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION MOVES EAST OF
THE REGION AROUND 00Z. BECAUSE OF THIS...WILL CONTINUE THE FLOOD
WATCH UNTIL 5 PM.
AS THE WEAK SURFACE LOW MOVES EAST OF THE REGION LATER TODAY...
NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP. THESE WINDS WILL ACT TO BRING IN
DRIER AIR...WHICH SHOULD ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF ADDITIONAL HEAVY
RAIN TONIGHT. WILL CONTINUE LOW POPS FOR ALL BUT NORTHWEST SECTIONS.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN TAKE CONTROL AND RESULT IN DRY WEATHER
THROUGH THURSDAY. NEXT FRONT IS SCHEDULED TO DROP S FROM THE LAKES
FRI WHICH WILL ONCE AGAIN RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.
.RLX...
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR
WVZ005>011...WVZ013>020...WVZ024>040...WVZ046>047.
VA...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR VAZ003>004.
KY...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR KYZ101>103...KYZ105.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY FOR OHZ066>067...OHZ075>076...OHZ083>087.
.END/JSH
Flash Flood, McDowell
- When
- July 29, 9:00 AM EST to 4:30 PM EST
- Where
- McDowell County, Countywide
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
- Coordinates
- 37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An unsupervised 3 year old boy ended up in the swollen Jenny Branch. Jenny Branch is a small stream across from his home. The location was on the lower reaches of County Route 7/4 near Davy. The tragedy occurred around 0930-1000E. His body was found in the Tug Fork. Huff Creek in Cyclone washed out private bridges. Flooding occurred along Elkhorn Creek again, but minor, compared to the 8th. Homes in Maitland were surrounded by water from the Tug Fork. Mobile homes were flooded in Anawalt.
Flash Flood, Webster
- When
- July 29, 11:30 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Webster County, East Portion
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The headwaters of the Gauley, Elk, and Williams Rivers overflowed. Police encouraged 75 homes to evacuate in the Bergoo vicinity. Some campers were stranded.
Flash Flood, Boone
- When
- July 29, 11:45 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST
- Where
- Boone County, East Portion
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Pond Fork and its tributaries flooded, entering homes along Route 85. County officials said, "we have about 160 homes affected, from water around the home, to water inside the front door".
Flash Flood, Raleigh
- When
- July 29, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Raleigh County, West Portion
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 37.771, -81.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drews and and Peachtree Creeks flooded homes near Naoma. Around 40 people were evacuated. Minor overflow occurred elsewhere.
Flash Flood, Kanawha
- When
- July 29, 12:00 PM EST to 1:30 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, East Portion
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Paint Creek surrounded a few mobile homes near Hansford.
Flash Flood, Logan
- When
- July 29, 12:15 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Logan County, Lorado
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 37.832, -81.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
About a dozen residents were evacuated along the upper reaches of Buffalo Creek.
Flash Flood, Mingo
- When
- July 29, 12:15 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Mingo County, Gilbert
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 37.726, -82.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Overflow from Horsepen and Gilbert Creeks blocked roads.
Flash Flood, Fayette
- When
- July 29, 12:30 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fayette County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.029, -81.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
On the order of 30 people were evacuated in Beards Fork, Page, Kincaid, and Powellton. At Nallen, on the Meadow River and the Nicholas County line, rescue teams used ropes to help take residents to safety.
Flash Flood, Nicholas
- When
- July 29, 12:50 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nicholas County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The mayor of Richwood reported around 30 homes and a business flooded by the waters of the Cheery River, or by runoff from the mountainsides. Most of the homes had less than a foot of water, but 3 homes had more than 2 feet of water inside. A 120 bed nursing home was evacuated. Water also got into the basement of the hospital. Mudslide and high water on Routes 39 and 55, cut off the town of Richwood. Electricity was also out for about 3 hours. Around a dozen homes in Cottle, 12 homes in the Mount Nebo-Mount Lookout area, and 5 homes along the Fayette County border around Nallen, were flooded.
Flash Flood, Pocahontas
- When
- July 29, 1:00 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
- Where
- Pocahontas County, West Portion
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Remote areas flooded, in the headwaters of the Cranberry and Williams Rivers. In this vicinity, Laurel Creek flooded roads near Woodrow.
Flash Flood, Wyoming
- When
- July 29, 1:30 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
- Where
- Wyoming County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Minor flooding blocked roads, but for the most part, people were able to remain in their homes. A few evacuations occurred around Glen Rogers.
- 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.
- Heat in Illinois, July 29 to 31, 20016 deaths · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Virginia, July 29, 20011 death · 1 event
- Rip Current in Florida, July 29, 20011 death · 1 event
- Flash Flood in North Carolina, July 29, 2001$3.5 million · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 29, 2001$1.1 million · 1 in hail · 15 events
- Heat and Lightning Strike in Mississippi, July 29, 200111 injured · 2 events
- Volcanic Ash in Puerto Rico, July 29, 2001$300,000 · 13 events
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Virginia, July 29 to 30, 2001$350,000 · 6 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 29, 2001$82,000 · 1.75 in hail · 22 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 29, 20011 injured · $58,000 · 1.75 in hail · 21 events
- Volcanic Ash in U.S. Virgin Islands, July 29, 2001$200,000 · 2 events
- Flash Flood in Missouri, July 29, 2001$200,000 · 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: 5261959, 5261960, 5261961, 5261962, 5261964, 5261965, 5261966, 5261967, 5261968, 5261969, 5261963.