West Virginia, 2008

Flooding in West Virginia, April 21, 2008

April 21, 2008 · NWS LWX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A deep low pressure system moving east across the Great Lakes pushed a strong cold front across the region on late April 20th into early April 21st. Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours across the region and continued into the following morning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

A deep low pressure system moving east across the Great Lakes pushed a strong cold front across the region on late April 20th into early April 21st. Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours across the region and continued into the following morning. High moisture content and training storms lead to flooding across potions of the region with several road closures due to high water. Several storms produced damaging winds that downed trees and power lines.

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 Apr 21, 3:40 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 3:40 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 4:54 AM EST, 6 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 20, 11:19 PM EST, 5 hours 41 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 20, 11:36 PM EST, 5 hours 24 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 21, 12:04 AM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 21, 2:09 AM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Berkeley

When
April 21, 5:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Berkeley County, 1.45 mi NNW of Martinsburg
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
39.470, -77.979

Berkeley County Emergency Management reported Tennessee Ave near Mill Race Road closed when Tuscarora Creek overflowed its banks.

Flood, Morgan

When
April 21, 5:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Morgan County, 0.24 mi SSE of Berkeley Spgs to 0.22 mi SSE of Berkeley Spgs
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
39.627, -78.228

A newspaper reported flooding at the Roman Baths at Berkeley Springs State Park.

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

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, April 2008

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: 93442, 93443.