50 inches across the Monongahela River basin in northern West Virginia produced minor flooding on the Cheat and Monongahela Rivers, along with some small stream flooding.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 episode as NWS PBZ wrote it up.
Heavy rains of 1.00 to 2.50 inches across the Monongahela River basin in northern West Virginia produced minor flooding on the Cheat and Monongahela Rivers, along with some small stream flooding.
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 20, 4:55 AM EST, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 455 AM EST WED MAR 20 2002 AFTER COORD WITH RLX AND LWX HV DECIDED TO ISSUE FLOOD WATCH FOR PTN OF CWA S OF MASON-DIXON LN. IFLOWS AMTS OVR TUCKER CO WV OVR AN INCH SO FAR WHILE RADAR APPEARS TO BE UNDER-ESTIMATING. AVN/ETA BRING RAIN TO AN END DURG AFTN. WK RDG MAY PROVIDE SOME CLRNG TNGT...AND WL MENTION PTCHY FOG DVLPG. NEXT TROF WL SWING THRU ON THU BRING IN MUCH COLDER AIR. WL KEEP WORDING SIMILAR TO PREV ZNS...WITH FALLING TEMPS AND SCT RAIN SHWRS CHGG TO SNOW SHWRS THU AFTN. FCSTID = 14 PIT 50 35 47 18 / 100 10 30 40 HLG 50 35 47 18 / 100 10 30 40 MGW 54 37 50 21 / 100 10 30 40 ZZV 52 34 47 19 / 100 10 30 40 PHD 51 34 47 18 / 100 10 30 40 FKL 45 32 43 13 / 90 10 40 40 DUJ 45 32 43 13 / 90 10 40 40 LBE 50 35 47 18 / 100 10 30 40 BTP 48 34 45 16 / 90 10 40 40 IDI 48 34 45 16 / 100 10 30 40 ODM 47 33 45 16 / 100 10 30 40 .PBZ... MD...FLOOD WATCH MDZ001 TIL 4 PM. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...FLOOD WATCH WVZ012-021>023-041 TIL 4 PM.
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 167 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:28 UTC.
2 flash flood, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several small streams in the Parsons area overflowed their banks, producing minor flooding on SR 219, just south of Parsons. A few other county roads in the area also experienced minor flooding.
The Cheat River crested at Parsons at 14.7 feet (flood stage 13.0 feet) at 2:00 PM.
Several small streams and creeks overflowed their banks in the Mannington area.
The Cheat River at Rowlesburg crested at 6 PM at 19.0 feet (flood stage 16.0 feet).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, March 2002
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: 5287225, 5287227, 5287226, 5287228.