Flood, Ohio
- When
- September 17, 2:00 PM EST to September 20, 4:00 AM EST
- Where
- Ohio forecast zone
- Property damage
- $40 million
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.097, -80.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in West Virginia, September 17 to 20, 2004
At 3 PM EDT on 17th, a trailer court was washed away, about 5 miles north of Wheeling, where Short Creek meets the Ohio River. 3 inches of rain.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
- $40 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 PBZ wrote it up.
At 3 PM EDT on 17th, a trailer court was washed away, about 5 miles north of Wheeling, where Short Creek meets the Ohio River. By 4 PM, many roads were closed by flood around Wheeling, after 7.3 inches of rain. By 9 AM on 18th, major flooding continued on creeks emptying into the Ohio River. A total of 599 structures, were damaged or destroyed, including 1 school. Route 2 was closed by mud slides. Several businesses suffered major damage from flooding of Wheeling Creek, along Route 40, east of downtown Wheeling. Many homes in Wheeling Island were flooded well up into the first floor. Major business establishment on south end of Wheeling Island had much damage. Most small stream flooded ended the evening of the 19th, but flooding on the Ohio River continued: Pike Island rose above flood stage (37 ft) at 1230 AM EDT on 18th, crested 46.3 at 5 AM on 19th, and fell below flood stage 4 AM EDT on 20th. Wheeling rose above flood stage (36 ft) 1230 AM on 18th, crested 45.3 at 5 AM on 19th, and fell below flood stage 5 AM EDT on 20th. Total rain: 9.9 inches near Wheeling. (IVAN)
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 17, 12:39 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 17, 12:39 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
139 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
.AVIATION...
IFR TO MVFR DOMINATE FIRST 12 HOURS AS REMNANTS OF IVAN CONT TO
MEANDER SLOWLY NE THRU THE APPLCHS.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
WILL MAINTAIN FLOOD WATCH AS RAIN CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS AREA.
BAND OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL FROM ZZV TO PIT AND EXTENDING TO DUJ. DRY
SLOT IN THE SOUTHEAST BUT HAS SYSTEM TRACKS NORTHEAST. AND WITH
HEATING SHOULD FILL IN AND ALSO THE HEAVY RAIN BAND SLOWLY SHIFTS
EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF OUR CWA. FFA FOR
ENTIRE AREA LOOKS GOOD ATTM. MANY REPORTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES IN THE
BAND CURRENTLY. BY MIDNIGHT HEAVIER RAINS SHOULD BE TRACKING
EASTWARD. WESTERN MOST ZONES WILL LIKELY MIX WITH WITH DRIZZLE.
GUIDANCE HAS NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASING TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.
&&
.LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT WITH NEXT
CHC FOR RAIN NOT UNTIL MID WEEK ON RETURN SOUTHWEST FLOW.
&&
.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONE MDZ001 THROUGH SATURDAY.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069 THROUGH
SATURDAY.
PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES PAZ007>009-013>016-020-022-023-
029>032 THROUGH SATURDAY.
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041 THROUGH
SATURDAY.
&&Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 17, 1:32 PM EST, 28 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 232 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-180903- ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BEAVER PA-BELMONT OH-BROOKE WV-BUTLER PA- CARROLL OH-CLARION PA-COLUMBIANA OH-COSHOCTON OH-FAYETTE PA- FOREST PA-GARRETT MD-GREENE PA-GUERNSEY OH-HANCOCK WV-HARRISON OH- INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON PA-JEFFERSON OH-LAWRENCE PA-MARION WV- MARSHALL WV-MERCER PA-MONONGALIA WV-MONROE OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH- OHIO WV-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-TUSCARAWAS OH-VENANGO PA-WASHINGTON PA- WESTMORELAND PA-WETZEL WV- 232 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR STREAMS AND CREEKS. A RIVER FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING. HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL OVER THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN. THE POTENTIAL FOR 3 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN IN SOME LOCATIONS WILL CAUSE FLOODING. THE STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL BE THE FIRST TO RISE OVER THEIR BANKS FOLLOWED BY THE RIVERS. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS WILL ALSO OCCUR WHERE RAINFALL IS ESPECIALLY HEAVY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR STREAMS AND CREEKS. A RIVER FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. PLEASE REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE INCH AND EVERY HALF INCH THEREAFTER. ALSO REPORT ANY FLOODING OR HIGH WATER LEVELS ON STREAMS AND RIVERS.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Sep 17, 1:33 PM EST, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
233 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM FLOOD DUNCAN FALLS 39.87N 81.92W
09/17/2004 MUSKINGUM OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
ROADS CLOSED.
&&
TRRLocal storm report, Sep 17, 1:38 PM EST, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
238 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0236 PM FLOOD NEW CASTLE 41.00N 80.35W
09/17/2004 LAWRENCE PA COUNTY EOC
NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED AND CLOSED IN PULASKI AND SHENANGO
TOWNSHIPS.
&&
TRRLocal storm report, Sep 17, 1:42 PM EST, 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
242 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM FLOOD BENWOOD 40.01N 80.73W
09/17/2004 MARSHALL WV SKYWARN SPOTTER
FLOODING ON BOGGS RUN.
&&
TRRLocal storm report, Sep 17, 1:46 PM EST, 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
246 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0245 PM FLOOD SARVER 40.73N 79.73W
09/17/2004 BUTLER PA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROAD FLOODING.
&&
TRRLocal storm report, Sep 17, 1:54 PM EST, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
254 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM FLOOD DUNCAN FALLS 39.87N 81.92W
09/17/2004 MUSKINGUM OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
MANY ROADS FLOODED.
&&
TRRLocal storm report, Sep 17, 1:55 PM EST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
255 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM FLOOD MINGO JUNCTION 40.32N 80.61W
09/17/2004 JEFFERSON OH TRAINED SPOTTER
MUD SLIDES ON ROUTE 7 FROM HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING.
&&
TRRThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flood in Pennsylvania, September 17 to 19, 2004
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, September 17 to 19, 2004
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 17, 2004
- Flooding in West Virginia, September 17 to 21, 2004
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 17, 2004
- Flood in Ohio, September 17 to 20, 2004
- Flood in West Virginia, September 17 to 20, 2004
- Tornadoes in West Virginia, September 17, 2004
- Flooding in Kentucky, September 17 to 20, 2004
- Tornadoes in Maryland, September 17 to 18, 2004
- Flood in West Virginia, September 17 to 19, 2004
- Flooding in Ohio, September 17 to 21, 2004
More
Every storm in West Virginia in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, September 2004
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: 5422634.