4 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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 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 Aug 16, 7:40 PM EST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 840 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 ********************************************************************* 840 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 NOT AS IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS WE THOUGHT MAY OCCUR...AS THEY HAD A TOUGH TIME SUSTAINING. CURRENT RADAR SHOWING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DROPPING SOUTHEAST ALONG A BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN CWA...WHILE BETTER CLUSTER OF STORMS CONTINUES TO SLIDE SOUTH ACROSS EAST CENTRAL OHIO. ONLY THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE SURVIVING THE LOSS OF HEATING AND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE FURTHEST AWAY FROM UPPER SUPPORT AND REAL FRONT SHOULD STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR STRENGTH. COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDING WEST FROM SOUTHERN LAKE ERIE BACK ALONG THE MICHIGAN AND OHIO BORDER. WITH ACTIVITY LACKING WILL LOWER POPS OVERNIGHT BUT CERTAINLY NOT DROP THEM WITH THIS JUICY AIR MASS IN PLACE. THINKING OF 30 POPS ACROSS SOUTHERN CWA WITH 40/50 NORTHWEST CWA AND KEEPING LIKELY FROM CKB EAST INTO NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THINK THE BEST CHANCE REMAINS ALONG CKB-EKN CORRIDOR. SHOULD SEE FOG AND LOW CLOUDS AGAIN TONIGHT AS WELL. .RLX... WV...NONE. VA...NONE. KY...NONE. OH...NONE. HC ********************************************************************* 315 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 TONIGHT AND TOMORROW... WILL GO WITH SLOWER MODEL TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT AS IS TYPICALLY THE CASE THIS TIME OF YEAR. VORTICITY LOBE BEGINS EFFECTING THE REGION LATE TONIGHT WITH FRONT AND VORTICITY LOBE PUSHING THROUGH THE REGION ON SUNDAY. STILL CONCERNED WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON WATCH DUE TO TIME OF DAY THE SYSTEM WILL BE EFFECTING THE REGION. SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT... EXCEPT FOR A LINGERING SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM EARLY SUNDAY EVENING IN THE FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA...HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTROL THE WEATHER WITH COOLER AND DRY WEATHER THROUGH TUESDAY. MOS TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE EXTREMELY CLOSE AND LOOK VERY REASONABLE. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH OUT THE PERIOD. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. SURFACE MOISTURE LOOKS LIMITED EXCEPT FOR SOME RETURN SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW INTO THE MOUNTAINS AROUND THE SURFACE HIGH. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME ISOLATED DIURNAL CONVECTION BOTH WED/THURS IN THE MOUNTAINS. BY FRIDAY...A SHEARING UPPER SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING ENE THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES INTO NEW ENGLAND. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL BE SLIDING ACROSS THE AREA AND WITH THE INCREASE IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE TROUGH...BRINGING MOISTURE BACK...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP. ONE POSITIVE WILL BE THAT THE FORCING ALOFT SHOULD BE ON THE WEAK SIDE AS THE JET ENERGY AND SHORTWAVE ENERGY ARE TO THE NORTH. BY SATURDAY...THE CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY SHOULD BE THROUGH AND WITH THE UPPER RIDGE TRYING TO REBUILD THANKS TO UPSTREAM TROUGH DEVELOPMENT OVER THE WEST COAST AND THE NORTHERN JET BACK INTO SOUTHERN CANADA...DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN. BUT WILL HAVE TO WATCH TO SEE IF ENOUGH SURFACE MOISTURE REMAINS TO PROVIDE A CHANCE OF THE USUAL SUMMERTIME AFTERNOON SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM. FOR TEMPERATURES...MEX GUIDANCE LOOKED PRETTY GOOD AND WAS GENERALLY FOLLOWED. /RPY/JMV/ESS ********************************************************************* 1035 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 WILL UPDATE FORECAST TO REMOVE MORNING WORDING. WITH HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE LAST 24 HOURS IN THE NORTH AND MOUNTAINS...AM A BIT CONCERNED WITH FRONT DROPPING DOWN TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON ANY DEVELOPMENT. RPY ********************************************************************* 340 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 AXIS OF LAST NIGHTS UPPER AIR SUPPORT SHOULD PASS CRW BY DAWN. AS WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY..SHOWERS WERE POSSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE FRIDAY NIGHT. WITH LINGERING SUPPORT EARLY TODAY...ESPECIALLY E-S OF CRW...MENTIONING SOME MORNING SHOWERS. 2 CONCERNS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE INCREASING WIND FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF THE 80-90 KNOT 250MB JET MAX WILL HAVE AFTERNOON/EVENING STORMS MOVING FASTER. SOME GUSTY WINDS THEN POSSIBLE. THE FASTER MOVEMENT SHOULD HELP LIMIT RAIN AMOUNTS FROM INDIVIDUAL CELLS. HOWEVER...THE SECOND CONCERN IS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF STORMS BACKBUILDING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST...THAT WOULD DROP SOUTHEAST AND TRAIN. NO FLOOD WATCH AT THIS EARLY HOUR...BUT NEED TO MONITOR CONVECTION PATTERN. BASING FORECAST ON THE SURFACE FRONT TO BE NEAR HTS-CRW-EKN AROUND 12Z SUNDAY. HOPEFULLY THE FRONT WILL THEN INCH FURTHER SOUTH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...FOR SOME FRESHER AIR TO REACH NORTHERN COUNTIES SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SOUTHERN COUNTIES ON MONDAY. FRIDAYS AIR WAS CERTAINLY DEPRESSING...WITH VISIBILITY AROUND 2-3 MILES IN HAZE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE TO THE EXTENDED PERIODS. BATTY / CL ********************************************************************* 755 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 2003 QUICK UPDATE TO CONTINUE AND INCREASE POPS THIS EVENING ACROSS EASTERN CWA AS CONVECTION HAS TAKEN PLACE AHEAD OF APPROACHING SHORTWAVE IN MOIST UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A NORTH SOUTH ORIENTED LINE FROM CKB TO JUST EAST OF CRW AND CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE EAST. HAVE INCREASED POP TO 40 ACROSS NORTHEAST AND CONTINUED LOW CHANCE OR SLIGHT CHANCE ELSEWHERE TIL MIDNIGHT WITH UPSTREAM WAVE STILL TO MOVE THROUGH. WILL LIKELY UPDATE AGAIN LATER TO LOWER POPS AS THINGS DIMINISH WITH LOSS OF HEATING AND FURTHER EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF SHORTWAVE. HC *********************************************************************
KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>040-046-047-161500- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 500 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO...NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AT A QUICKER PACE TODAY AND TONIGHT. HOWEVER...THE SHOWERS MAY LINE UP PARALLEL TO THE FLOW...CAUSING REPETITIVE SHOWERS OVER AREA. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE MONITORING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING ON SMALL CREEKS. ALSO...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING COULD CONTAIN STRONG WIND GUSTS...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND EASTERN OHIO...COMPARED TO POINTS FURTHER TO THE SOUTH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. BATTY
OHZ067-076-162330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 554 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 5:50 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN NOBLE COUNTY MOVING SOUTH AT ABOUT 20 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WITH RAINFALL RATES CLOSE TO 1.5 INCHES AN HOUR...AND GUSTY WINDS. RESIDENTS IN EASTERN MORGAN COUNTY OHIO AND WASHINGTON COUNTY OHIO MAY EXPERIENCE WIND GUSTS IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE BETWEEN 6 PM AND 7 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. HC
WVZ039-046-047-170330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 937 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 9:35 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS UPSHUR COUNTY INTO RANDOLPH COUNTY. FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. TORRENTIAL RAINS WITH RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH AN HOUR ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. RAPID RISES ON STREAMS AND CREEKS CAN BE EXPECTED AS WELL AS PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN LOW SPOTS. BUCKHANNON...TALLMANSVILLE AND ELLAMORE ARE LOCATIONS IMMEDIATELY TO BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. HC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Rains of 2.5 to 3 inches caused French Creek to flood roads and surround a few buildings.
Long Run flooded and closed secondary roads. Further north, a rain gauge near Ellamore measured 1.8 inches of rain in less than 90 minutes.
Rains of 1.5 to 2.5 inches fell in 2 hours or less. Headwaters of the West Fork River and feeder streams at Crawford overflowed their banks. A school in Weston had urban runoff get inside their building.
Rains of 2.5 to 3 inches fell. Hacker Lick Run flooded Route 14.
Straight line wind damage resulted from at least 2 microbursts. The damage occurred along Pine Branch Road off of Route 3. Two damage paths, both less than a quarter of a mile wide, consisted of uprooted and snapped trees. Yet, along one of the paths, several homes were damaged by the downed trees and flying debris.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, August 2003
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: 5334387, 5334386, 5334388, 5334389, 5334452.