Increasing moisture quickly moved up the Ohio River Valley on the morning of the 3rd into a developing east to west frontal zone. The first of several thunderstorm complexes moved from west to east into extreme southern Ohio during the early afternoon on Tuesday, the 3rd.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Increasing moisture quickly moved up the Ohio River Valley on the morning of the 3rd into a developing east to west frontal zone. The first of several thunderstorm complexes moved from west to east into extreme southern Ohio during the early afternoon on Tuesday, the 3rd. The west to east band of training thunderstorms shifted slightly north overnight, to include Jackson, Vinton, Athens, Meigs, Morgan, and Washington Counties. A tornado warning, during the evening of the 3rd, prompted Ohio University at Athens to enact emergency precautions for their dormitories. However, no tornado occurred.
The ground was already wetter than normal in the Hocking Valley on north, from above normal rainfall in May. By dawn on the 4th, the highest rain totals were over 2 inches around Jackson on northeast toward Athens.
These rain amounts over the wet terrain, caused some flash flooding on small streams late on the 3rd and early on the 4th.
The west to east band of convection sank slightly back to the south during the daylight hours on Wednesday, the 4th. Portions of Jackson, Meigs, Gallia, and Lawrence Counties saw the heaviest rains then. Small stream flooding was widespread with numerous road closures. Lawrence County was hit the hardest with small stream flooding.
Hail and some wind damage occurred with the convection.
The last of the significant showers exited after 2100E on the 4th.
Rain totals over a 30 to 36 hour time frame were 2.5 to 4.5 inches. A few specific preliminary totals from cooperative observers included Waterloo with 4.5 inches, Jackson 4.3 inches, Gallipolis 3.8 inches, Salem Center 3.4 inches, South Point 3.1 inches, and Athens, McArthur, plus McConnelsville 2.9 inches.
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 Jun 3, 7:58 PM EST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 858 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE COMMON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS A FRONT REMAINS DRAPED OVER THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. MONITORING FOR FLOOD AND SEVERE THREAT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... WITH ACTIVE WEATHER ON-GOING...WILL KEEP THIS SHORT. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED FROM SOUTHERN OHIO WESTWARD. MODELS HAD A PRETTY REASONABLE HANDLE ON THESE STORMS...WITH HIGH POPS ACROSS OUR NORTH OVERNIGHT. HAVE PULLED THE HIGHER POPS SOUTHWARD A LITTLE TO REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS. EVERYTHING ELSE APPEARS TO BE REASONABLE...AND ONLY MINOR TWEAKS ARE EXPECTED. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... WARM FRONT SITUATED ACROSS NORTHERN TIER OF AREA RIGHT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. NEXT IN A SERIES OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVES IN FROM THE W ALONG WITH STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL SW FEED ESPECIALLY GIVEN MORNING HOURS WITH ENHANCED LLJ AT SUNRISE. THIS SHOULD GIVE RISE TO SOME KIND OF CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WITH HEAVY RAIN FALL MOVING THROUGH E CNTRL OH COUNTIES IN THE MORNING AND ON TO THE ENE THROUGH MIDDAY. SECOND SHORT WAVE TAKES A SIMILAR TRACK IN THE AFTERNOON LIKELY GENERATING ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION NEAR THE FRONT. FLOW OF 40-50 KTS PLUS CAPE UP TO 2500 J/KG ON DEW POINTS AROUND 70 AND H85 THETA E VALUES NEAR 340K...SPS SLIGHT RISK ACROSS NORTHERN PORTION OF AREA LOOKS GOOD. THE HEAVIEST QPF IN ALL THE MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO BE IN AN W-E AXIS N OF THE FORECAST AREA...BUT THE UPPER OH BASIN LOCATION OF THIS AXIS...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT THROUGH WED DOES RAISE CONCERN FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RIVER FORECAST CRESTS ARE COMFORTABLY BELOW FLOOD STAGE AT THIS TIME...BUT THIS WILL NEED CLOSELY MONITORED. AFTER WED...WARM FRONT LIFTS N OF THE AREA...PUTTING THE AREA UNDER UPPER RIDGE WITH SUMMER LIKE WEATHER FOR THE COUNT. STAYED MOSTLY NEAREST HIGH SIDE OF GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WED WITH LOWEST VALUES N. LOWS WED NT AND THU NT LOOKED GOOD. RAISED HIGHS THU TO REFLECT A BLEND OF THE NUMBERS AS THE MAV /MID 90S/ STILL SEEMS A BIT HIGH. STAYED A LITTLE BELOW THE HIGH MAV FRI AND LOWERED THE VALLEYS FRI NT. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AND ASSOCIATED BERMUDA HIGH WILL SET UP OVER THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST. THIS WILL TRANSLATE INTO A PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID WEATHER FOR THE CWA IN SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW. THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY DEFLECT INCOMING SYSTEMS FROM THE WEST OFF TO THE NORTH...AND WILL EXPECT THE RING OF FIRE TO SET UP ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH. MAIN QUESTION WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT THE PERIPHERY WILL SINK FAR ENOUGH SOUTHEAST TO CLIP THE CWA TO ENHANCE ANY THUNDERSTORM THREATS. OTHERWISE...WILL SEE A FAIR AMOUNT OF CUMULUS DEVELOPMENT DURING THE HEATING OF THE DAY...AND WILL EXPECT A FEW OF THESE TO BREAK THE CAP AND MATURE INTO THUNDERSTORMS. SHOULD BE DIFFICULT TO UTILIZE ANY CAPE HOWEVER...AND WILL EXPECT MOST PLACES TO REMAIN DRY DURING THE DURATION OF THIS SET UP. TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S GENERALLY AREA WIDE...WITH THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS A SMALL HANDFUL OF DEGREES OFF THE PACE OF THE LOWLANDS. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH OFF TO THE EAST OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...RADAR MOSAIC IS ALREADY SHOWING ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHWEST OHIO. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AND SHOULD IMPACT PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA OVERNIGHT. EXPECT STORMS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA ONCE AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. MVFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE COMMON IN AND NEAR THE STORMS...WITH VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION. THERE COULD BE SOME LOCAL AREAS OF IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. AVIATION OUTLOOK /AFTER 00Z THURSDAY/... MVFR WITH OCCASIONAL IFR WX IN RW/TRW ACROSS SOUTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHERN WV WED NIGHT. && .HYDROLOGY... SEVERAL UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES...850 INFLOW OF 50 KNOTS FROM SW TONIGHT...AND PRECIPITABLE WATER NEAR 2 INCHES...COULD SPELL TRAINING OF SOME DOWNPOURS ALONG WARM FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN PORTION OF AREA TONIGHT AND WED. 3 HR FFG COULD BE REACHED IN SPOTS ACROSS THE NORTH WITH EACH PASSING S/W. HOWEVER...EXPECTING ENOUGH RECOVERY TIME BETWEEN S/W TO PREVENT PROBLEMS. AS A RESULT...WILL NOT HOIST A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ATTM. HOWEVER...THE HAZARD STILL EXISTS IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JKF/26/TRM/30 NEAR TERM...JSH SHORT TERM...JKF/TRM LONG TERM...26 AVIATION...JSH HYDROLOGY...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 419 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ075-083>087-WVZ005>007-042030- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-ATHENS-JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS- GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON- 419 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 ...TORNADO WATCH 436 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS FROM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. RAINS OF OVER 2 INCHES WOULD BE NEED TO CAUSE FLASH FLOOD CONCERNS ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. IF REPETITIVE SHOWERS SEEM LIKELY...FLASH FLOOD WATCHES COULD BE POSTED. INCREASE YOUR WEATHER AWARENESS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. OHZ066-067-076-VAZ003-004-WVZ008>011-013>020-024>040-046-047-042030- PERRY-MORGAN-WASHINGTON-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS- TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE- MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON-GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL- WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS- RANDOLPH- 419 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS FROM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. RAINS OF OVER 2 INCHES WOULD BE NEED TO CAUSE FLASH FLOOD CONCERNS ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. IF REPETITIVE SHOWERS SEEM LIKELY...FLASH FLOOD WATCHES COULD BE POSTED. INCREASE YOUR WEATHER AWARENESS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. 30
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 426 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 WVZ025-026-034-035-032100- LOGAN WV-WYOMING WV-RALEIGH WV-BOONE WV- 428 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 426 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 33 MILES WEST OF BECKLEY...IN EASTERN LOGAN COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... MABEN...CYCLONE...KOPPERSTON...NAOMA...BOLT AND ARNETT. WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 459 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ087-WVZ005-006-032145- GREENUP KY-CARTER KY-BOYD KY-LAWRENCE KY-LAWRENCE OH-CABELL WV-WAYNE WV- 459 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 459 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 MILES NORTH OF CARTER CAVES STATE PARK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... GRAHN...GLOBE...HITCHINS...CARTER...GRAYS BRANCH AND HOPEWELL. WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THIS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 13
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
543 PM EDT TUE JUN 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND DMG LOAD 38.55N 82.97W
06/03/2008 GREENUP KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
BARN BLOWN APART AND ACROSS ROAD ON RT 20/70.
&&
JDENTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 543 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 WVZ005-006-013>015-032215- KANAWHA WV-PUTNAM WV-CABELL WV-WAYNE WV-LINCOLN WV- 543 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 543 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER NORTHEASTERN WAYNE COUNTY...OR ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTH OF PROCTORVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... ONA... SALT ROCK...EAST LYNN...PALERMO...MYRA AND SOD. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 621 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 VAZ004-WVZ015-024>027-033>037-032245- BUCHANAN VA-KANAWHA WV-LOGAN WV-CLAY WV-NICHOLAS WV-MCDOWELL WV-WYOMING WV-RALEIGH WV-MINGO WV-BOONE WV-FAYETTE WV- 621 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 616 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL MINGO COUNTY...TO SOUTHERN CLAY COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS LINE OF STORMS INCLUDE...BECKLEY...BENTREE...BICKMORE...INDORE...ESKDALE...LEEWOOD AND POND GAP. SOME OF THE STRONGER EMBEDDED STORMS MAY CONTAIN WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 946 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 WVZ010-011-020-031-040215- DODDRIDGE WV-HARRISON WV-PLEASANTS WV-TYLER WV- 946 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 946 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER PLEASANTS COUNTY...OR ABOUT 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW MARTINSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... WALLACE...CENTER POINT...LIMA...ALMA...WICK AND ARVILLA. WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:52 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down along Baker Road.
Streams along Route 550 flooded roads. The headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Shade River flooded an animal shelter between Athens and Shade. Fencing and a barn were damaged. About a dozen dogs had to be rescued from the water. There were no reports of water getting into homes.
Small streams flooded roads and fields, but no evacuations were reported.
Several trees fell across roads.
Trees fell along Route 50.
Overflowing streams closed roads.
Overflowing streams closed roads.
The rains on the 3rd set up Lawrence County for significant small stream flooding during the afternoon and night on the 4th. Pine Creek, Little Pine Creek, Symmes Creek, Canoons Creek, Johns Creek and Little Ice Creek were the main culprits. About 4 mobile homes were destroyed due to water damage, mostly along Pine Creek and County Route 27. About 10 dwelling had major damage. A few bridges and several culverts were damaged. Landslides also occurred.
Large branches were blown down.
Trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, June 2008
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: 106779, 106805, 106807, 106784, 106781, 106908, 106787, 106907, 106910, 106790, 107135, 110332.