Steady rains from the remnants of Hurricane Isabel caused swollen streams by late on the 18th. Embedded showers early on the 19th caused small streams to flood roads.
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 RLX wrote it up.
Steady rains from the remnants of Hurricane Isabel caused swollen streams by late on the 18th. Embedded showers early on the 19th caused small streams to flood roads. In terms of dwellings, only one old mobile home at Glady was damaged. The presidential disaster declaration included counties as far west as Randolph County. See FEMA disaster number 1496 for details.
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 Sep 18, 9:45 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1045 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 ******************************************************************** 1045 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 EVENING UPDATE. THINGS GOING AS PLANNED AS FAR AS TRACK OF ISABEL INTO THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE LATE TONIGHT...EXCEPT THE SPEED OF ISABEL IS SOMEWHAT FASTER. HAVE UPDATED TO ACCOUNT FOR SPEED BY IMPROVING CONDITIONS EARLIER ON FRIDAY. HOWEVER...HAVE LEFT THE ONGOING FLOOD WATCH AND WIND WARNINGS INTACT INTO FRIDAY. WILL LET THE NEXT SHIFT EVALUATE FOR AN EARLIER END TO THESE. JMV ******************************************************************** 340 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 TONIGHT AND FRIDAY... HURRICANE ISABEL HAS MOVED ONSHORE...AND HEADED NORTHWESTWARD. THE OUTER PRECIPITATION BANDS ARE ALREADY BEING FELT ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THE MOTION AS IT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. MADE ONLY SLIGHT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...AS FORECAST TRACK HAS CHANGED LITTLE. CONTINUE FLOOD WATCH AND WIND PRODUCTS (ADVISORY AND WARNING) FOR THE NORTHEASTERN ZONE GROUPINGS. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH REGION FRIDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...NOT EXPECTING ANY PRECIPITATION WITH THIS FRONT AS REGION WILL BE IN NORTHWEST FLOW IN WAKE OF ISABEL EXITING TO THE NORTH. SURFACE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE SHOULD BE MINIMAL IF ANY AND TIMING OF FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BE OVERNIGHT. STILL WILL HAVE DECENT GRADIENT FRIDAY NIGHT AND WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE IN 10 T0 20 MPH RANGE...AT LEAST ACROSS NORTH. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN SATURDAY AND MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES EXPECTED WITH TEMPERATURES IN LOW TO MID 70S. SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE BEST RADIATIVE COOLING NIGHT WITH HIGH NEARLY OVERHEAD AND CLEAR SKIES. GFS INDICATING WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY RIDING UP APPALACHIANS ON SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT AND HAVE INCREASED CLOUDS A TOUCH FOR THIS. MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... MODELS ARE SHOWING THE NEXT FRONTAL BOUNDARY ARRIVING MONDAY EVENING OR EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING NOT ONLY MODEL TO MODEL...BUT ALSO BETWEEN GFS RUNS. THE 6Z RUN WAS ALMOST 12 HOURS FASTER THAN THE 00Z RUN. THE NEW 12Z RUN IS IN BETWEEN BUT CLOSER TO THE 00Z TIMING. THUS...FOR NOW WILL INTRODUCE PCPN MONDAY EVENING INTO MONDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH THE SHOWERS ENDING DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK LOOKS DRY AS COOLER CANADIAN WORKS IN FOR WEDNESDAY AND THEN MODIFIES ON THURSDAY. MEX GUIDANCE LOOKS GOOD RIGHT AND WAS CLOSE TO PREVIOUS FORECAST SO ONLY SMALL ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE. .RLX... WV...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FOR ZONES WVZ046>047. FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR ZONES WVZ028...WVZ030>032... WVZ035>040...WVZ046>047. WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FOR WVZ028...WVZ030>032...WVZ035>040. VA...NONE. KY...NONE. OH...NONE. KF/HC/ES ******************************************************************** 1000 AM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 MORNING UPDATE DISCUSSION... FOR NOW...WILL LEAVE THE FORECAST AS IS. FOG IS QUICKLY DISSIPATING. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN REALIZED THANKS TO HURRICANE ISABEL...AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO SHORE. KF ******************************************************************** 430 AM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 THRU FRIDAY MORNING RIVER FOG AGAIN HAS DEVELOPED...EXPECT THIS TO ERODE SHORTLY AFTER SUNSHINE...AS GRADIENT STRONGER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. NOW FOR MEAT OF FORECAST...ISABEL...00Z NCEP CHAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TRACK OVER POTOMAC HIGHLANDS BY 12Z FRIDAY...SIMILAR TO FRAN OF 96. IN THE MEANTIME...ONGOING GRIDDED DATABASE IN FINE SHAPE WITH RESPECT TO POPS/WX. DEPTH OF NW WINDS THURSDAY NIGHT HAVE DECREASE A GOOD BIT THIS CYCLE...AS LAYER PROGGED TO BE 5-6 KFT DEEP. THIS REDUCES OROGRAPHIC QPF EFFECT...FROM PREVIOUS THINKING...BY NEARLY HALF...YIELDING HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF 2 INCHES OVER NERN CWA. OUTPUT MATCHES QPF FROM FRAN QUITE WELL...WHICH KEPT +RA EAST INTO POTOMAC BASIN. COULD REALIZE VALUES OF 0.25-0.50 HIGHER WITH ISOTHERMAL PROFILE AND QUICK SHOT OF PRECIP WITH BAROCLINIC ZONE FRI AFTN. FOR HEADLINES...BASED OFF LATEST TPC WIND RADII...WILL HOIST AN NPW INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING FOR RANDOLPH AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES. A WIND ADVISORY FOR RALEIGH N TO WEBSTER COUNTY AND NCNTRL ZONES FROM HARRISON COUNTY E TO UPSHUR AND BARBOUR. H8 WINDS STAY BELOW 50KTS...H7 WINDS TOP OUT AROUND 65 KTS 06Z FRI...FEEL RIDGES ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE. INCREASED SUSTAINED WINDS SPEEDS TO 25 TO 35 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS COMING JUST SHY OF H7 NUMBERS ALONG RIDGES. GIVEN AFOREMENTIONED THOUGHTS ON QPF...THINK FFA WILL NOT BE NEEDED FOR CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...HOWEVER GIVEN ITS 2ND PERIOD...WILL LET IT RIDE...REMAINDER OF FFA AREA LOOKS GOOD. FRIDAY AS ISABEL DEPARTS...COLD FRONT WILL PASS DURING AFTERNOON HOURS. TIME OF DAY WOULD SUPPORT CONVECTION...HWVR WITH ATMS WORKED OVER...KEPT RW VERBIAGE. TEMPS ALL OVER THE PLACE ON STATISTICAL OUTPUTS...SPREADS OF 5 TO 8 DEGREES COMMON. BELIEVE MAV NUMBERS ARE TOO COOL AND FWC TOO WARM (AS THE CASE OF LATE)...SO PLAYED THE MIDDLE GROUND. KEPT THE TREND OF WARMER WEST AND SOUTHWEST...COOLEST NE. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY --> MUCH QUIETER THIS PERIOD AS ISABEL ROCKETS NORTH FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS DIMINISH AND ANY LEFT OVER UPSLOPE SHOWERS END. MODELS STILL INSIST ON BAND OF SHOWERS FORMING WITH COLD FRONT FRIDAY NIGHT AS FRONT APPROACHES THE MOUNTAINS. NOT SURE ABOUT THIS BUT DID DELAY END OF SLIGHT CHANCE THROUGH 6Z FOR THIS. LEANED TOWARD THE LOWER MAV NUMBERS FRIDAY NIGHT THOUGH WAS HESITANT AT FIRST GIVEN TROPICAL AIR MASS BROUGHT IN BY ISABEL. ISABEL IS INTERACTING WITH COOL AIR ON PLACE AND IT EXITS SO QUICKLY THAT IT COULD RADIATE THAT NIGHT. REST OF FORECAST ON TRACK WITH FRONT APPROACHING MONDAY AND MOVING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT OR EARLY TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE BALLPARK WITH ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS HERE AND THERE. 29/TRM ******************************************************************** 900 PM EDT WED SEP 17 2003 NO EVENING UPDATE ANTICIPATED. FORECAST TRACK/EFFECTS OF ISABEL STILL LOOK VALID FOR OUR AREA. JMV ********************************************************************
KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>040-046-047-181500- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 445 AM EDT THU SEP 18 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO...NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THE REMNANTS OF ISABEL BRING A POTPOURRI OF WEATHER THREATS TO THE AREA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. AS ONE WOULD EXPECT...WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG...BETWEEN 40 AND 50 SUSTAINED IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH...WITH ISABEL PASSING JUST OFF TO THE EAST. HIGH WATER PROBLEMS ALSO ARE A THREAT...AS AMOUNTS COULD TOP 2 TO 3 INCHES IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD. ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED HAZARDS ARE FORECAST BETWEEN 10 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 6 AM FRIDAY. * INLAND TROPICAL WIND WARNING FOR RANDOLPH AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES TONIGHT...SEE WWUS71 KRLX - NPWRLX FOR DETAILS* * FLOOD WATCH FROM TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY FOR MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA..SEE WGUS61 KRLX - FFARLX FOR DETAILS * * WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...EXCLUDING RANDOLPH AND POCHONTAS...ALOS INCLUDING PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...SEE WWUS71 KRLX - NPWRLX FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:00 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Small streams feeding into the East Fork of the Greenbrier River flooded. The cooperative observer at Bartow measured 2.4 inches of rain.
Water was 2 feet deep across Route 29 near Job and Whitmer. The nearby observer at Glady measured a 24 hour rain total of 3.1 inches. Along the Randolph and Tucker County border, portions of the stream bank along Red Creek were damaged. Future high water would threaten the few dwellings.
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, September 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: 5368630, 5368629.