This was the initial event that prompted a federal disaster declaration. See FEMA disaster number 1522 for details.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
This was the initial event that prompted a federal disaster declaration. See FEMA disaster number 1522 for details. Subsequent flooding occurred elsewhere on the 30th and 31st, then again in June, adding to this disaster.Besides the flash flooding in Braxton, Mason, Putnam, Jackson, and Kanawha Counties, flooding also occurred across portions of Roane, Webster, Clay, Upshur, Calhoun, and Gilmer Counties. Rains of 2 to 2.5 inches were more common here. Yet, Hacker Valley in Webster County did measure a 24 hour rain amount of 3.7 inches. The flooding was mostly minor. However, 7 homes in Roane County did sustain damage. One home near Gandeeville had 2 feet of water inside. The Right Fork of the Holly River near Guardian crested at 11.5 feet on the 28th. The bankfull level there is 8 feet. On the Little Kanawha River, the crest at Glenville was 24 feet on the 28th, a foot above flood stage.
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 May 27, 3:30 PM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
430 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2004
.UPDATE FOR DISCUSSION...
.DISCUSSION...
430 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2004
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...
WORKED OVER STABLE ATMOSPHERE HAS THUS FAR PRECLUDED CONVECTION FROM
GETTING GOING. ATMOSPHERE HAS RECOVERED SOMEWHAT UPSTREAM WITH
CONVECTION BEGINNING TO FIRE TO THE WEST.
SEVERAL WEAK SHORT WAVES AND SURFACE BOUNDARIES WILL MOVE THROUGH
THE AREA OVERNIGHT. STILL BELIEVE SOME LATE DAY AND EVENING
CONVECTION WILL GET GOING AND CHANCE CHANCE POPS FOR THIS. SEVERE
POTENTIAL APPEARS TO BE LIMITED DUE TO LACK OF SUFFICIENT LAPSE
RATES.
MODELS DO INSIST ON REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF LAST NIGHT WITH COMPLEX
AFFECTING MOSTLY SOUTHERN COUNTIES OUT AHEAD OF COLD FRONT DROPPING
DOWN FROM THE NORTH. COMPLEX LAST NIGHT TURNED RIGHT...ITS HEAVIEST
PRECIPITATION MISSING CWA. DO NOT SEE WHY SAME THING SHOULD NOT
HAPPEN TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY WITH DEEP LAYER FLOW STARTING TO VEER
WITH APPROACH OF FRONT. MODELS HOWEVER INSIST ON TRACKING SYSTEM
STRAIGHT EAST.
ROLLED WITH CAT POPS THOUGH NOT AS FAR NORTH AS MOS GUIDANCE.
OTHERWISE NO MAJOR DEVIATIONS FROM MOS THIS PERIOD.
ALL MODELS NOW CONCUR FRONT MOVES COMPLETELY THROUGH AREA BY FRIDAY
NIGHT AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE NEW PACKAGE.
SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
BIGGEST CHANGE IS TO MONDAY TIME FRAME...INCREASING POPS ACROSS OHIO
ZONES QUICKER THAT PREVIOUS FORECAST ISSUANCE. MAY NEED TO GO
HIGHER POP WISE AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO THAT TIME PERIOD...AND GET A
BETTER HANDLE ON THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT MONDAY AFTERNOON.
GFS TREND HAS BEEN TO QUICKEN UP THIS PASSAGE...BUT HAVE HESITATED
SLIGHTLY WITH THE GRIDS...KEEPING WITH A CONSENSUS OF THE REMAINDER
OF THE MODELS.
WENT WITH AN OPTIMISTICALLY DRY FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY ON...WITH
ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS MENTIONED ACROSS THE SOUTH AND MTN REGIONS
LATE THURSDAY. ZONAL FLOW ALOFT TAKES HOLD OVER OUR CWA...WITH MOST
OF THE PRECIP REMAINING TO THE NORTH.
TRM/KF
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
1159 AM EDT THU MAY 27 2004
UPDATING TO REMOVE MORNING LIKELY WORDING. THIS LEAVES CHANCE
EVERYWHERE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE DAY. ATMOSPHERE IS WORKED OVER
FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION WITH SURFACE HEATING LIMITED BY CLOUDS AT
THIS TIME. THIS SUPPORTS ONGOING FORECAST...WHICH HOLDS OFF ON
LIKELY POPS UNTIL TONIGHT.
LAST OF THE MORNING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALL BUT DISSIPATED AND CLOUDS
ARE BEGINNING TO BREAK UP. BELIEVE THIS WILL CONTINUE...ALLOWING
FOR TEMPERATURES TO RECOVER SOMEWHAT THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE RAISED
HIGHS A BIT...MAINLY SOUTHWEST ZONES...WHERE SUN HAS ALREADY COME
OUT.
TRM
&&
.AVIATION...
144 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2004
271800 TO 281800
AIR MASS TO THE WEST BEGINNING TO RECOVER WITH TEMPERATURES UP TO
AROUND 80 AND DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER 70S. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO
FIRE UP THIS AFTERNOON AND CODED ALL SITES THOUGH BEST CHANCE IS
NORTHERN SITES.
AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL KEEP THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS GOING TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD SHOW A
SOUTHWARD TREND OVERNIGHT. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD PUSH SOUTHWARD
THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY. THE HEAVIEST OF THE PRECIPITATION MAY
QUIT PRIOR TO THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...BUT IFR CONDITIONS IN LOW CLOUDS
AND FOG LIKELY NEAR THE FRONT FRIDAY MORNING.
CONDITIONS SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPROVE NORTH TO SOUTH DURING THE MIDDAY
AND AFTERNOON HOURS FRIDAY...AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH AND COOLER
AND DRIER AIR FILTERS IN FROM THE NORTH.
SOUTHWEST FLOW TODAY...A BIT GUSTY PKB AND CKB...THEN FLOW BECOMES
LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. LIGHT WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW
WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT...ACTUALLY PRECEDING IT IN SOME CASES...FRIDAY
MORNING.
FRONTAL PASSAGE IS CODED UP AS 12Z FOR PKB AND CKB...15Z FOR HTS CRW
AND EKN...AND 16Z FOR BKW. SOMEWHAT STRONGER NORTHWEST FLOW SHOULD
MIX DOWN FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
CONTINUE NIL AMD ON HTS TAF DUE TO OCCASIONAL MALFUNCTION IN
VISIBILITY SENSOR.
TRM
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
430 PM EDT WED MAY 26 2004
CONTINUED EXISTING FLOOD WATCH. STILL CONCERNED EVENING ACTIVITY
AFFECTS MAINLY COUNTIES NORTH OF WATCH WHILE MCS ACTIVITY TONIGHT
TAKES A SIMILAR TRACK AS LAST NIGHT...WHICH IS MAINLY JUST SOUTHWEST
OF CWA. BUT THIS IS ONE TOO MANY BULLETS TO DODGE IN THIS PATTERN
TO ENTERTAIN ANY NOTION OF DISCONTINUING THE WATCH AT THIS
TIME...ESPECIALLY HAVING ROLLED WITH CAT POPS SOUTHERN COUNTIES.
ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN QUICKLY CAUSE MINOR OR USUAL LOW LYING OR POOR
DRAINAGE FLOODING...BUT IT WILL TAKE A MORE PERSISTENT.. WIDESPREAD
COMPLEX OR TRAINING OR REPEATED ACTIVITY IN AREAS HIT HARDEST
ALREADY THIS WEEK TO CAUSE MORE WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS. BELIEVE ALL OF
THESE POSSIBILITIES REMAIN ON THE TABLE UNTIL THE FRONT MOVES
THROUGH...IN ABOUT 18 HOURS SO BELIEVE IT PRUDENT TO LEAVE FLOOD
WATCH UP UNTIL ABOUT THEN (IT DOES EXPIRE AT 6 AM FRIDAY AND THIS
MAY STILL WORK OUT/CAN BE LOOKED AT ON MID WATCH TONIGHT).
TRM
&&
.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES
WVZ005>008...WVZ013>016...WVZ024>027...WVZ033>037.
VA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES VAZ003>004.
KY...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES
KYZ101>103...KYZ105.
OH...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES
OHZ083...OHZ086>087.HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 530 AM EDT THU MAY 27 2004 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>040-046-047-280930- ATHENS OH-BARBOUR WV-BOONE WV-BOYD KY-BRAXTON WV-BUCHANAN VA-CABELL WV-CALHOUN WV-CARTER KY-CLAY WV-DICKENSON VA-DODDRIDGE WV-FAYETTE WV-GALLIA OH-GILMER WV-GREENUP KY-HARRISON WV-JACKSON WV-JACKSON OH-KANAWHA WV-LAWRENCE OH-LAWRENCE KY-LEWIS WV-LINCOLN WV-LOGAN WV-MASON WV-MCDOWELL WV-MEIGS OH-MINGO WV-MORGAN OH-NICHOLAS WV-PERRY OH-PLEASANTS WV-POCAHONTAS WV-PUTNAM WV-RALEIGH WV-RANDOLPH WV-RITCHIE WV-ROANE WV-TAYLOR WV-TYLER WV-UPSHUR WV-VINTON OH-WASHINGTON OH-WAYNE WV-WEBSTER WV-WIRT WV-WOOD WV-WYOMING WV 530 AM EDT THU MAY 27 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO... NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND MOST OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE... THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY AND TONIGHT. WITH THE GROUND ALREADY SATURATED...FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...AS WELL AS ROADS AND URBAN AREAS...REMAINS A POSSIBILITY. THE THREAT IS GREATEST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. * FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS61 KRLX - FFARLX FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS WILL REMAIN A POSSIBILITY UNTIL A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS ABLE TO CLEAR THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. CL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
657 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 PM HAIL LOWELL 39.53N 81.51W
05/27/2004 1.00 INCH WASHINGTON OH TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JFDThe Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:13 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 6 flood, 5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees fell on power lines from Fairplain through Kenna to Goldtown.
Large branches were blown down.
Scattered locations had trees blown down, with a higher concentration along Route 7.
Trees were knocked down.
Trees fell along Route 18.
Trees were knocked down along Route 9.
The county department of highways had to clear downed trees along roads in scattered locations.
Large branches were blown down.
Large branches fell across Route 20 on Hodam Mountain.
Rains of 2.5 to 3.5 fell over wet terrain in less than 6 hours. Several small streams flooded. Pocatalico Creek flooded at least 5 homes in the southern portion of the county. In one home, the water was 5 feet deep inside. Kenna Elementary School had 2 to 3 inches of water in parts of the building. Damage assessment counted major damage to 5 homes in Jackson County.
Rains of 2.5 to 3.5 inches fell in less than 6 hours. Point Pleasant reported 3 inches of rain. Small streams covered many roads. However, damage to dwellings was not reported.
Trees fell along Route 7.
Large branches were blown down.
A few trees were knocked down.
Scattered locations saw trees fall across roads.
Rains of 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain fell. Rosedale reported 2.7 inches of rain, while Sutton measured 2.6 inches. Evacuations took place in Newville and near Flatwoods. Water was in homes and blocking roads. Some roads and culverts were washed out. Damage assessment counted 17 homes with major damage in the county.
Trees fell across Route 151.
One mobile home in the Spring Branch area was destroyed by flood waters. Several mobile homes in the Westwood Mobile Home Park, west of Hurricane, had insulation, underpinning, heating, and air conditioner damage. Three state bridges and several private bridges were damaged. Preliminary assessment reported about 45 homes in the county with major damage.
Rains of 2.5 to 3 inches fell in less than 6 hours. Tornado reported 3.05 inches. Two and Three Quarter Mile Creek flooded the Green Valley area near St. Albans, damaging roads and flooding vehicles. The St. Albans Fire Department made boat rescues to evacuate some residents. Across the Kanawha River, Finney Branch also flooded in Institute. Three homes in Finney Hollow had 3 feet of water in their living area. About 24 homes in the county had major damage.
Along Brunty Hollow Road, a porch was ripped off a house along with a portion of its roof. There was sporadic tree damage and a couple power poles were snapped off at the top. At least one vehicle was hit by a fallen tree. On Saxon Road near Shiloh, a pole barn had part of its roofing taken off. At one point, downed trees blocked many local roads. Most of the damage occurred in clearings within valleys, where trees on the edge of the forested land took the burnt of the force. Due to channeling down the valleys, wind speeds could have reached 70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 2004
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: 5399219, 5399216, 5399221, 5399217, 5399218, 5399220, 5399222, 5399223, 5399224, 5399225, 5399226, 5399227, 5399228, 5397775, 5397776, 5399230, 5399229, 5399231, 5399232, 5399233, 5399234, 5399235, 5399236, 5397785, 5399237, 5397784, 5397783, 5397777, 5397778, 5397779, 5397780, 5397781, 5397782, 5397774.