Thunderstorm Wind, Hardy
- When
- June 12, 2:15 PM EST
- Where
- Hardy County, Moorefield
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 39.067, -79.033
Trees were downed.
Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, June 12, 2003
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and high winds moved through the Eastern Panhandle during the afternoon and evening of the 12th. In Hardy County, trees were downed in Moorefield.
Where it happened
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $6,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 LWX wrote it up.
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and high winds moved through the Eastern Panhandle during the afternoon and evening of the 12th. In Hardy County, trees were downed in Moorefield. In Hampshire County, heavy downpours caused water to overflow onto Green Spring Bridge in Green Spring. A motorists got stuck in the flood waters and had to be rescued from the roof of her car. In Jefferson County, trees and power lines were downed in Charles Town. One tree was felled onto a car on Samuel Street. Job Corps Road was closed for an hour after a downed power line caused trees along the road to smoulder. In addition, a home in the county caught fire after being struck by lightning.
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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 12, 1:00 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 1:00 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
200 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2003
.SHORT TERM...TNGT AND TMRW...
MAIN PROBLEMS IN THE SHORT TERM TODAY ARE FFLDG AND SVR. AREA RAOBS
SHOWING PWATS HIGHER THAN YDY. GPS IPWV DATA AROUND THE AREA ALSO
SHOWING A SIGNIFICANT INCRS OVR THE PAST 24-36H. STORMS YDY WERE
ALSO VRY EFFICIENT PRODUCING 1-3 IN/HR RAFL RATES WITH SOME FLDG.
ALL IN ALL...FLOOD THREAT CONTS TO INCRS...AND WL CONT FLASH FLOOD
WATCH.
AS FOR SVR...WATCH BOX IN THE S ALREADY. JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IS
PRIMED FOR SVR TODAY. BEST ORGANIZATION LIKELY IN THE N WITH STGST
SHEAR...WHILE OVR THE S...BEST AEREAL CVRG XPCTD. DEEP LYR SHEAR
STILL SUFFICIENT FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION AND SVR. AGAIN TODAY WITH
SHORT LINEAR HODOGRAPHS LINEAR MODE FAVORED WITH SVR MAINLY ASSOC
WITH LEWPS/BOWING SEGMENTS. WET MICROBURSTS IN PCPN LOADED STORMS WL
ALSO BE A PROB TODAY. SHEAR PARMS MUCH STRONGER IN THE RUC
SNDGS...BUT THIS IS NOT SUPPORTED AS WELL BY THE OBSERVATIONAL DATA.
POPS CONT OVNGT AND CHC POPS AGAIN TMRW WITH ANOTHER REPEAT
PERFORMANCE. 50 POPS BOTH PDS.
MANNING
.LONG TERM FRI NGT THROUGH THU...
ETA STILL SHOWING THE CWA MOIST AND UNSTABLE SAT AND FNT WILL BE
SINKING S OVR THE AREA. ANOTHER GOOD SHOT AT AT LEAST SCT CONVECTION.
WILL USE 40 POPS AREAWIDE FOR THE AFTN AND EVENING.
BOTH MODELS NOW IN CONSENSUS IN FCSTG FNT S OF US...AND CWA IN DRY
ZONE. WILL HAPPILY PULL POPS FOR SUNDAY. SHOULD BE COOLER AND A LTL
LESS HUMID TOO. GFS KEEPS DRY AIR IN PLACE THRU MID WEEK. EXTENDED
SHOWS NEXT FNT IN ON DAY 7...THURSDAY.
RDH
.LWX...
DC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVE DCZ001.
MD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVE MDZ002>007...MDZ009>011...
MDZ013...MDZ014.
VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVE VAZ021...VAZ025>031...
VAZ036>042...VAZ050>056.
SVR TSTM WATCH #527 TIL 23Z VAZ021...VAZ025>026...
VAZ036>039...VAZ050...VAZ055>057.
WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVE WVZ048>055.
MARINE...NONE.
SVR TSTM WATCH ALL ZONES TIL 00Z.Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 12, 10:35 AM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-141000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1135 AM EDT THU JUN 12 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...NORTHERN VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY...AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINFALL. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED INTO THE WEEKEND. RDH
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 12, 10:35 AM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-130000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1135 AM EDT THU JUN 12 2003 ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS INDICATED THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA...EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...MARYLAND...AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A STALLING COLD FRONT OVER PENNSYLVANIA. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON. THIS WILL PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR MORE ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. GUSTY WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TODAY...SOME LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN SOME AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. MANNING
Special weather statement, Jun 12, 12:17 PM EST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
VAZ037-038-121815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 117 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER THE BLUE RIDGE... AT 117 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHITE HALL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF CROZET...STANARDSVILLE AND FREE UNION WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 215 PM EDT. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. MANNING
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:13 UTC.
Event by event
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson
- When
- June 12, 2:45 PM EST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Charles Town
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.300, -77.850
Trees and power lines were downed.
Lightning, Jefferson
- When
- June 12, 2:45 PM EST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Charles Town
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.308, -77.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A home caught fire after being struck by lightning.
Flash Flood, Hampshire
- When
- June 12, 5:30 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
- Where
- Hampshire County, Green Spg
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.317, -78.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Water overflowed onto Green Spring Bridge. A woman had to be rescued from the roof of her car after being caught in flood waters.
What these are
- 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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- 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
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in District of Columbia, June 12, 2003
- Flooding and Damaging Wind in Ohio, June 12 to 13, 2003
- Flood and Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, June 12 to 13, 2003
- Flood in Pennsylvania, June 12 to 13, 2003
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, June 12, 2003
- Damaging Winds in Kansas, June 12, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, June 12, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, June 12, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, June 12, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Florida, June 12, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 12, 2003
- Hail in Nebraska, June 12, 2003
More
Every storm in West Virginia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, June 2003
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: 5370773, 5370774, 5370775, 5370776.