From the late afternoon on November 30th to the early morning of December 1st, rain amounts of 2 to 3 inches fell over the headwaters of the Elk and Gauley Rivers in Webster, Nicholas, western Pocahontas, and northwestern Greenbrier Counties. Luckily, the ground was relatively dry prior to this event.
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.
From the late afternoon on November 30th to the early morning of December 1st, rain amounts of 2 to 3 inches fell over the headwaters of the Elk and Gauley Rivers in Webster, Nicholas, western Pocahontas, and northwestern Greenbrier Counties. Luckily, the ground was relatively dry prior to this event. Minor flooding still occurred along the headwater streams and rivers in Webster and Nicholas Counties during the predawn to sunrise time frame on the 1st.
No structures were damaged.
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 Dec 1, 4:15 AM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 415 AM EST WED DEC 1 2010 .SYNOPSIS... MUCH COLDER TODAY WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. HIGH PRESSURE AND DRY WEATHER RETURN THURSDAY. WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM THIS WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... LAST OF THE MAIN RAIN SHIELD IS MOVING OUT OF THE NORTHEAST COUNTIES CURRENTLY...ON THE BACK EDGE OF MIDLEVEL DEFORMATION AND MOIST H850 INFLOW. WITH THE END OF THE HEAVY RAIN...PLANNING ON DROPPING THE FLOOD WATCH...ALTHOUGH SOME MINOR WATER ISSUES MAY CONTINUE FOR A FEW HOURS. SEE DETAILS IN HYDROLOGY SECTION. WRAPAROUND MOISTURE BEHIND SYSTEM WILL KEEP PRECIP AROUND TODAY. CHANGEOVER TO SNOW IS UNDERWAY WITH PASSAGE OF H850 FRONT...MODELS SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING WITH THE SPEED OF THE COOLDOWN. EXPECT ALL PRECIPITATION TO BE SNOW BY MIDMORNING. SHOULD BE A RELATIVE LULL IN ACTIVITY THROUGH THE MORNING. THEN...EXPECT SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO BLOOM WITH DAYTIME INSTABILITY...WITH SOME 15 TO 25 KNOT GUSTS MIXING DOWN AS WELL. COLD ADVECTION WILL BE SLOWING A BIT WITH TIME...BUT LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES APPEAR SUFFICIENT FOR SOME DEVELOPMENT. EXPECT ANY REAL ACCUMULATION...ON THE ORDER OF AN INCH OR TWO AT BEST...TO BE LIMITED TO THE MOUNTAINS. EVEN THERE...MOISTURE LAYER ONLY PARTIALLY PENETRATES THE IDEAL CRYSTAL GROWTH LAYER AND WE NEVER SEE TRULY FAVORABLE UPSLOPE FLOW. MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY WILL COLLAPSE WITH SUNSET...WITH SOME SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING INTO THE NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS. H850 THERMAL TROUGH PASSES LATE TONIGHT...SO SHOULD SEE LINGERING ACTIVITY WANING BY 12Z. ANOTHER INCH IS POSSIBLE UP HIGH. LOW CLOUD DECK WILL ALSO BE ERODING FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT...WITH THE TUG VALLEY AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THE FIRST TO CLEAR. LOOKING AT A MORNING HIGH TEMPERATURE IN MOST CASES TODAY...ALTHOUGH READINGS MAY BE ABLE TO RECOVER SLIGHTLY IN THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON. FORECAST HIGHS ARE GENERALLY AT OR BELOW MOS. WITH CLOUDS AND CONTINUED DECENT MIXING TONIGHT...WENT WITH A MOS BLEND. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... START OF SHORT TERM PERIOD STARTS OUT RATHER QUIET FOR MOST OF THE CWA. A FEW LIGHT UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER EARLY THURSDAY OVER THE NORTHER MOUNTAIN ZONES IN THE WNW FLOW ALOFT...BUT THESE WILL TAPER OFF AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD INTO THE REGION...THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO DRY OUT...AND FLOW BECOMES LESS FAVORABLE FOR UPSLOPE. ANOTHER WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. NOT MUCH MOISTURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE...AND MUCH OF THE CWA WILL SEE ONLY CLOUDS. DID ELECT TO ADD A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO THE FORECAST OVER A FEW OF THE NORTHERN WV COUNTIES...BUT OVERALL LEFT FORECAST RATHER DRY. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. GFS AND ECMWF SEEM TO BE IN SLIGHTLY BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE HANDLING OF THIS SYSTEM...ALTHOUGH THEY ARE STILL NOT IN TOTAL AGREEMENT. REGARDLESS...SHOULD BE ENOUGH COLD AIR IN PLACE TO CREATE SNOW OR MAINLY A RAIN/SNOW MIX CHANGING TO ALL SNOW OVER NORTHERN ZONES SATURDAY EVENING...WITH SOUTHERN WV AND SW VA MAINLY RAIN EARLY ON...CHANGING TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH ALL SNOW EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THIS EVENT COULD RESULT IN SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VERY LATEST GFS AND AND ECMWF HAD CONSIDERABLE SPREAD IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD. FOLLOWS HPC LEAD WHICH TOOK A HEAVIER ACCOUNTING OF THE ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEANS. USED HPC GRIDS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD FOR POPS FORECAST. SFC HIGH GIVES WAY TO WEAK CLIPPER THAT IS PROGGED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE OH VALLEY FOR THE WEEKEND. LATEST ECMWF CARRIES THIS FEATURE A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH...WHICH PLACES MUCH OF THE CWA IN THE COLD SECTOR. THE LATEST GFS IS MUCH WEAKER WITH THIS DISTURBANCE AND CARRIES THE FEATURE WELL TO THE NORTH. LEANED TOWARDS THE ECMWF SOLUTION. HOWEVER...EVEN WITH THE ECMWF...MOISTURE WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN LIMITED...SO KEPT POPS ON THE LOW SIDE. FOR TEMPS...USED HPC NUMBERS WITH ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. THIS LED TO A SLIGHTLY COOLER WEEKEND OVER THE PREVIOUS FCST...SINCE THERE IS A HEAVY RELIANCE ON THE ECMWF HANDLING OF THE COOLER AIR FILTERING INTO THE FORECAST && .AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... SURFACE FRONT IS CROSSING MOUNTAINS...AND BACK EDGE OF MAIN RAIN SHIELD IS ABOUT TO I-77. MVFR TO SPOTTY IFR IN THE RAIN SHIELD AS IT CROSSES. MVFR CIGS WILL LINGER BEHIND THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY. COLDER AIR POURS IN LATE TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE DAY...CHANGING ANY LEFTOVER RAIN SHOWERS TO SNOW SHOWERS. DESPITE THE LACK OF IDEAL UPSLOPE FLOW...SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS IN THE MOUNTAINS. COULD SEE SPOTTY IFR AT ANY TIME HERE BUT DID NOT INCLUDE IN TAFS RIGHT NOW. TO THE WEST...SNOWS SHOULD BE SCATTERED ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANY WIDESPREAD VISIBILITY RESTRICTION. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: MEDIUM ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: IFR CONDITIONS COULD BE A BIT MORE WIDESPREAD TODAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. DATE WED 12/01/10 UTC 1HRLY 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EST 1HRLY 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 CRW CONSISTENCY L L L L L M L L L L M M HTS CONSISTENCY H M L M L L M L L L M M BKW CONSISTENCY L L L L L L M M L L M M EKN CONSISTENCY L M M M M M M L L M L L PKB CONSISTENCY L L L L L L L L L L M M CKB CONSISTENCY M M M M L L M M M L M M AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY... IFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN COUNTIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN SNOW SHOWERS. && .HYDROLOGY... COLDER AIR RUSHING IN...FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED...FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SMALL STREAM FLOODING. OF COURSE...ALL RIVERS WILL BE RISING. CURRENTLY /09Z/ HAVE ONE COUNTY FLOOD WARNING TIL 13Z FOR PORTIONS OF NICHOLAS...WEBSTER... UPSHUR...AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES FOR MINOR SMALL STREAM OVERFLOW/FLOODING FROM THE HEAVIER RAIN THAT WAS CONCENTRATED THERE BETWEEN 11 PM AND 3 AM. ALSO...BASED ON FORECAST RAIN AMOUNTS...WE POSTED 3 RIVER FLOODING WARNINGS TUESDAY EVENING...FOR CRESTS LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. THOSE THREE RIVER FORECAST POINTS ARE CLARKSBURG...BELINGTON...AND PHILIPPI. WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY MAJOR CHANGES THIS PREDAWN. WE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE OBSERVED RAINFALL CAN BE COMPARED TO RADAR IN THE NORMAL RIVER RUN LATER THIS MORNING. THOUGH...THINKING IS THE YESTERDAYS FORECAST RAIN AMOUNTS WERE A BIT OVERDONE IN THE TYGART VALLEY...FROM THE FEW PRELIMINARY OBSERVED REPORTS WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR. IN OTHER WORDS...FORECAST CRESTS MAY BE TOO HIGH ON THE TYGART VALLEY. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CL/SL NEAR TERM...CL SHORT TERM...SL LONG TERM...KMC AVIATION...CL HYDROLOGY...KTB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 646 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-WVZ005>010-013-014-017- 020000- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON- JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON- JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-WIRT- 646 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO AND MUCH OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ003-004-WVZ030>040-046-047-020000- DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH- FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH- 646 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN 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. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. IN ADDITION...THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS MAY SEE 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WVZ011-015-016-018>020-024>029-020000- TYLER-KANAWHA-ROANE-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY- BRAXTON-GILMER- 646 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN 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. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
1103 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1053 PM HEAVY RAIN HURRICANE 38.38N 81.99W
11/30/2010 1.51 PUTNAM WV PUBLIC
TO 2.00 INCHES.
&&
NNNNSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1140 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 WVZ020-028>032-038>040-047-010645- DODDRIDGE-BRAXTON-GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-WEBSTER-UPSHUR- BARBOUR-RANDOLPH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST UNION...SUTTON...GASSAWAY... BURNSVILLE...GLENVILLE...WESTON...CLARKSBURG...BRIDGEPORT... GRAFTON...WEBSTER SPRINGS...BUCKHANNON...PHILIPPI...BELINGTON... ELKINS 1140 PM EST TUE NOV 30 2010 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... THE RAIN WILL BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH AT LEAST 2 AM. RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND A QUARTER AN INCH AN HOUR ARE LIKELY. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...COULD CAUSE HYDROPLANING...ESPECIALLY ON INTERSTATE 79 AND OTHER 4 LANE ROADS. STANDING WATER FROM POOR DRAINAGE...WATER RUNNING OFF ADJACENT HILLSIDES OR FROM FULL DITCH LINES...COULD CAUSE THE SAME PROBLEM ON RURAL ROADS. IF DRIVING LATE TONIGHT...ALLOW EXTRA TIME...FOR SLOWER AND SAFER SPEEDS. KTB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1221 AM EST WED DEC 1 2010 WVZ008-013>016-024>026-010630- JACKSON WV-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RAVENSWOOD...RIPLEY...HARTS... ALUM CREEK...HAMLIN...TEAYS VALLEY...HURRICANE...CHARLESTON... SOUTH CHARLESTON...SAINT ALBANS...SPENCER...WILLIAMSON...LOGAN... CHAPMANVILLE...MAN...MADISON 1221 AM EST WED DEC 1 2010 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... FOR PUTNAM...JACKSON...ROANE...LINCOLN...KANAWHA...BOONE...LOGAN... AND MINGO COUNTIES...THE DRENCHING RAINS WILL BE DIMINISHING BETWEEN 12:30 AND 1:30 AM. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL HAS BEEN ON EITHER SIDE OF 2 INCHES. NO SERIOUS FLOODING HAS OCCURRED. LATE NIGHT MOTORISTS...STILL NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS OF STANDING OR PONDING OF WATER IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. COLDER AIR BLOWS OUR WAY DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS. KTB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 149 AM EST WED DEC 1 2010 WVZ037-038-010900- NICHOLAS-WEBSTER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SUMMERSVILLE...RICHWOOD...CRAIGSVILLE... WEBSTER SPRINGS 149 AM EST WED DEC 1 2010 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR NICHOLAS AND WEBSTER COUNTIES... AT 1:45 AM...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WAS STILL FALLING. RAIN RATES ARE ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH PER HOUR. THE RAIN SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH BETWEEN 3 AND 4 AM. STRONG RISES WILL OCCUR ON STREAMS AND SMALL HEADWATER RIVERS. THE FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. HOPEFULLY...THE COLDER AIR WILL RUSH IN DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS...TO CHANGE THE LINGERING RAIN TO LIGHT SNOW...AND PREVENT SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. YET...THOSE LIVING ALONG FLOOD PRONE STREAMS AND HEADWATER RIVERS...PLUS COUNTY AND LOCAL OFFICIALS...STILL NEED TO MONITOR WATER LEVELS INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES SUCH WATERWAYS AS THE CHERRY RIVER IN RICHWOOD. IT WILL TAKE A FEW HOURS FOR THE HEADWATER RIVERS TO CREST...EVEN AFTER THE RAIN HAS CHANGED TO LIGHT SNOW. KTB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The South Fork of the Cherry River flooded yards and surrounded one home along Johnstown Road near Richwood. The staff gauge in Richwood, located near the junction of the North and South Forks of the Cherry River, crested around 9 feet.
The headwaters of the Elk River flooded County Route 26 known as the Bergoo Road. The road was closed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 2010
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: 265419, 265420.