West Virginia, 2001Flash Flooding and Flood in West Virginia, May 18 to 19, 2001
May 18 to 19, 2001 · NWS RLX · 17 events in 12 counties and zones
A rotating supercell developed in southeast Ohio, then moved across Mason and Jackson counties. The large hail damaged houses and vehicles.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 2
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.1 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 17
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.
A rotating supercell developed in southeast Ohio, then moved across Mason and Jackson counties. The large hail damaged houses and vehicles. In its wake, a larger complex of thunderstorms moved through. The associated rain resulted in flash flooding over saturated soils in southwest West Virginia. The Coal River at Tornado in Kanawha County rose to around its 25 feet flood stage during the predawn of the 19th. The Kanawha River at Charleston crested around 22.5 feet, or about three-quarter bankfull , during the afternoon of the 19th.
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 May 17, 8:50 PM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 8:50 PM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
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
Event by event
9 hail, 6 flash flood, 1 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Boone
- When
- May 18, 2:30 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
- Where
- Boone County, Jeffrey
- Property damage
- $550,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 38.817, -81.700
The Spruce Fork and its small tributaries of the Little Coal River flooded. Pond Fork was also affected, but to a lesser degree. About 200 people were evacuated from their homes. Approximately, 3 mobile homes and 7 single family dwellings had major damage. Eight mobile homes were destroyed. Three businesses sustained major damage.
Flood, Logan
- When
- May 18, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Logan County, Robinette
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.683, -81.533
A family of 4 crossed a swollen Buffalo Creek. They were driving through the stream bed in their pickup truck. The stream was running well above normal from the overnight rains, but was not in flood. Their pickup truck rolled over several times, while moving about 30 yards down the creek. The mother and the 7 year old son were able to get out, with the aid of a passerby. The father and daughter were not seen. The body of the 6 year old girl was found on the 19th. The father's body was found a month later, about 18 miles down stream, in the Guyandotte River in Logan.
Hail, Mason
- When
- May 18, 4:40 PM EST
- Where
- Mason County, Point Pleasant
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.417, -80.550
Hail, Mason
- When
- May 18, 5:05 PM EST
- Where
- Mason County, Southside
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.583, -81.183
Hail, Mason
- When
- May 18, 5:34 PM EST
- Where
- Mason County, Point Pleasant
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.217, -80.100
Hail, Jackson
- When
- May 18, 5:35 PM EST
- Where
- Jackson County, Kenna
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Jackson
- When
- May 18, 5:36 PM EST
- Where
- Jackson County, Fair Plain
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Jackson
- When
- May 18, 5:40 PM EST
- Where
- Jackson County, Ripley
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Jackson
- When
- May 18, 6:08 PM EST
- Where
- Jackson County, 6 mi E of Kenna
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Roane
- When
- May 18, 6:30 PM EST
- Where
- Roane County, Newton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Webster
- When
- May 18, 7:55 PM EST
- Where
- Webster County, Cowen
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Pocahontas
- When
- May 18, 8:30 PM EST
- Where
- Pocahontas County, Marlinton
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
- Coordinates
- 38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Several trees were blown down around this Pocahontas community.
Flash Flood, Wayne
- When
- May 18, 11:00 PM EST to May 19, 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Wayne County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 38.717, -81.967
The American Red Cross surveyed one single family home with minor damage.
Flash Flood, Lincoln
- When
- May 18, 11:30 PM EST to May 19, 3:30 AM EST
- Where
- Lincoln County, South Portion
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 38.850, -82.117
Approximately 10 homes sustained water damage. Laurel Creek flooded near Leet. The Mud River overflowed around Hamlin. The sewage plant at the Griffithsville grade school was damaged.
Flash Flood, Cabell
- When
- May 19, 1:30 AM EST to 3:30 AM EST
- Where
- Cabell County, Barboursville
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 38.850, -82.117
The Mud River overflowed, causing minor damage to roads. Pea Ridge measured 2 inches of rain over wet ground. No homes were damaged.
Flash Flood, Putnam
- When
- May 19, 1:45 AM EST to 3:30 AM EST
- Where
- Putnam County, 7 mi S of Hurricane
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.683, -81.650
Trace Fork flooded roads in the Nye vicinity.
Flash Flood, Kanawha
- When
- May 19, 3:50 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 38.750, -81.683
The Little Sandy Creek flooded roads. The Coal River and its small feeder streams, closed roads. Around 6 homes in the county were affected.
- 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.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Lightning Strike in Colorado, May 18, 20011 death · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 18, 2001$2.3 million · 50 kt wind · 20 events
- Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 18 to 19, 2001$165,000 · 5 events
- Flash Flooding in Pennsylvania, May 18, 2001$25,000 · 2 events
- Flash Flooding in Indiana, May 18, 2001$15,000 · 3 events
- Damaging Winds in Arizona, May 18, 2001$15,000 · 2 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 18, 2001$5,000 · 52 kt wind · 7 events
- Hail in Virginia, May 18, 20011 in hail · 4 events
- Heavy Rain in Virginia, May 18, 20013 events
- Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 18, 2001$10,000 · 2 events
- Heavy Rain in West Virginia, May 18, 20012 events
- Hail in South Dakota, May 18, 20010.75 in hail · 2 events
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: 5245461, 5245462, 5245464, 5245463, 5245465, 5245467, 5245466, 5245468, 5245469, 5245470, 5245297, 5245298, 5245299, 5245300, 5245301, 5245303, 5245302.