Thunderstorms developed in the mid to late afternoon generally south of the Interstate 64 corridor. With the weak flow aloft, the weaker storms rained themselves out.
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.
Thunderstorms developed in the mid to late afternoon generally south of the Interstate 64 corridor. With the weak flow aloft, the weaker storms rained themselves out. A stronger elongated cluster of storms developed across Lawrence County Kentucky into southern Wayne County. Storms trained over a portion of southern Wayne County. New storms then formed on the northern and northwestern fringes of this weakening cluster. The new elongated cluster affected Boyd County in Kentucky and northern Wayne County in West Virginia. More downpours occurred.
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 Jul 30, 12:58 PM EST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 158 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COOL FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SLATED FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... COLD FRONT IS STILL NORTH OF THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS SHOW IT SLOWLY SINKING SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. MODELS ARE A TAD SLOWER WITH THE FRONT THIS RUN...SO WILL REFLECT THIS IN THE FORECAST. WITH LOTS OF MOISTURE AROUND TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH...STAYED ON THE WARMER SIDE OF MOS GUIDANCE. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... WEAK SFC HIGH BUILDS IN FOR SUN NIGHT WITH FG LOOKING GOOD ACROSS THE NORTH AND PERHAPS DOWN TO I64 CORRIDOR. THINK AREAS FURTHER SOUTH WILL HOLD ON TO CLDS LONG ENOUGH AS BOUNDARY SLIPS JUST TO SOUTH. A WEAK UPR LVL DISTURBANCE WILL SWING DOWN ACROSS THE NORTH MON AFTN. MOIST IS AND CONVERGENCE IS LACKING...HENCE ONLY SCHC POPS ACROSS NORTH. MODELS HAVE DELAYED NEXT DISTURBANCE UNTIL LATE TUE NIGHT AND WED. THIS MEANS MUCH OF THE DAYLIGHT HRS TUE SHOULD BE FINE WX WISE. TEMPS JUST NEEDED SOME TLC FROM PREVIOUS FCST. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... PERSISTENT SYNOPTIC PATTERN CONTINUES WITH UPR RIDGE OVER CENTRAL PLAINS AND NW FLOW ALOFT OVER EASTERN OH VALLEY. WILL LOOK FOR UPR LVL WAVE AND ASSOCIATED WEAK SFC FRONT TO SLIP INTO AREA ON WEDNESDAY...PROVIDING FOR TRIGGER FOR MAINLY AFTN/EVE CONVECTION. GLOBAL MODELS DIFFER ON EXTENT OF SFC HIGH BUILDING IN FROM NORTH. THIS WILL DETERMINE HOW FAR SOUTH BOUNDARY GETS BEFORE CHECKING UP. CURRENT THINKING IS BOUNDARY MAY LINGER ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AREAS TO ROUND OUT THE WORK WEEK...PROVIDING FOR MAINLY DIURNAL CHCS OF CONVECTION. ANOTHER S/W TROF SLATED FOR SAT WILL ALLOW FOR A GREATER COVERAGE OF CONVECTION. TEMPS WILL GENERALLY HOVER ARND 90F WITH DEWPOINTS ARND 70F AMID MILD NIGHTS. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE RESTRICTIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME MAY LINGER WELL INTO THE NIGHT. PATCHY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT...MAINLY ALONG RIVER VALLEYS IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST OHIO. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: HIGH. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: TIMING/EXTENT OF THUNDERSTORMS COULD VARY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOG TIMING AND DENSITY COULD VARY TONIGHT. 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. UTC 1HRLY 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 EDT 1HRLY 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY L M M H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY M H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY M M H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 18Z SUNDAY... POST RAIN FOG COULD PRODUCE IFR CONDITIONS SUNDAY NIGHT. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RPY/30 NEAR TERM...RPY SHORT TERM...30 LONG TERM...30 AVIATION...RPY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 210 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>040-046-047-311815- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-JACKSON- VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON-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- 210 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON, WV
533 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0525 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 WSW CHARLEY 37.96N 82.73W
07/30/2011 M1.38 INCH LAWRENCE KY CO-OP OBSERVER
AMOUNT FELL WITHIN 1 HOUR. NO FLOOD PROBLEMS.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RLX1100809
JFDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
605 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011
KYZ101-103-WVZ005-006-302300-
BOYD KY-CABELL WV-GREENUP KY-WAYNE WV-
605 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BOYD...NORTHERN WAYNE...SOUTHERN
GREENUP AND SOUTHWESTERN CABELL COUNTIES...
AT 600 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 12 MILES
NORTH OF CARTER CAVES STATE PARK TO CANNONSBURG TO 8 MILES WEST OF
HAMLIN...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL FROM THESE STORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS
AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR COALTON AROUND 610 PM...BRUSHART AROUND 615
PM...LOCKWOOD AROUND 620 PM...HOPEWELL AROUND 630 PM AND RUSH AROUND
640 PM.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING INTERSTATES...I-64 BETWEEN MILE
MARKERS 181 AND 191 IN KENTUCKY...AND BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 10
IN WEST VIRGINIA.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED LEVELS ON
SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND PONDING OF WATER ON COUNTRY ROADS AND
FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3851 8317 3856 8310 3863 8306 3851 8286
3845 8260 3842 8260 3840 8256 3842 8249
3833 8219 3821 8228 3833 8279 3836 8277
3840 8294
JBThe Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:04 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Small streams flooded roads and fields.
The airport measured 2.66 inches in an hour between 1700E and 1800E. Small streams flooded roads and fields. Runoff came off of the hillsides too. One house along Goodwill Road reported water so deep in their home, that they had to retreat to the second floor.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, July 2011
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: 322965, 322969.