West Virginia, 2002

Flash Flooding in West Virginia, May 2, 2002

May 2, 2002 · NWS RNK · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

Thunderstorms during the early morning of the second produced flash flooding, Numerous roads in Hinton were flooded and closed, including the Route 3 and Route 20. A mobile home was also washed off its foundation.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.

Thunderstorms during the early morning of the second produced flash flooding, Numerous roads in Hinton were flooded and closed, including the Route 3 and Route 20. A mobile home was also washed off its foundation. Flash flooding closed roads in Camp Creek, near Rock, homes and businesses, and Route 19 in Lindside. A more significant round of flash flooding countywide in Mercer county closed and washed out numerous roads and bridges. Numerous homes and businesses reported water damage.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 7:34 PM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 7:34 PM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
830 PM EDT MAY 1 2002

STRONGEST CELLS IN LEADING MCS OVER ERN KY SHOULD REMAIN ON ITS SRN
EDGE. SVR WX SHOULD STAY SW OF THE FA.  THE OVERALL MVMNT OF THE MCS
SHOULD REMAIN ESE...CLOSE TO THE STNRY/WRM FNT. CORFIDI VECTORS FROM
THE 18Z MODELS SUPPORT THIS MVMNT. MORE TSRA ARE DEVELOPING BEHIND
THIS INTIAL MCS IN SE IN AND NRN KY AND IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THIS
ACTIVITY WILL BE MOVG ACROSS THE CWA LATER TONITE. WILL RAISE POPS
ALL ZONES- CATEG MTNS TO LIKELY FOR THE BLUE RIDGE AND
EASTWARD...MAY KEEP SOME OF THE PIEDMONT CHC. DON/T SEE MUCH CHC OF
TSTMS IN NERN SECTIONS LIKE ARND LYH...BUT WILL NOT TAKE IT OUT
SINCE IT IS ALREADY IN THE FCST. UPDATE WILL BE OUT SHORTLY SINCE
TSRA ARE ON OUR DOORSTEP.

.RNK...
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

JJ

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 1, 9:34 PM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes before
NCZ001-002-018-019-020400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1034 PM EDT WED MAY 1 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA...

AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING ACROSS FAR SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA...AND THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF TENNESSEE.  THE STORMS
SHOULD REACH NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 11 AND 11:30 PM.  HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...AND HAIL...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

BS

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Summers

When
May 2, 12:30 AM EST to 2:00 AM EST
Where
Summers County, Hinton
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.656, -80.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Mercer

When
May 2, 12:30 PM EST to 2:30 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Camp Creek
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.406, -81.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Mercer

When
May 2, 2:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Rock
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.406, -81.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Mercer

When
May 2, 4:30 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Countywide
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.406, -81.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Monroe

When
May 2, 6:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Monroe County, Peterstown
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.560, -80.551 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Monroe

When
May 2, 6:45 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Monroe County, Lindside
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.560, -80.551 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 2002

Sources

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: 5299627, 5299628, 5299629, 5299632, 5299630, 5299631.