As a warm front moved north across eastern Ohio and the northern West Virginia Panhandle, repeated thunderstorms caused flash flooding across portions of the area.
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 PBZ wrote it up.
As a warm front moved north across eastern Ohio and the northern West Virginia Panhandle, repeated thunderstorms caused flash flooding across portions of the area.
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 Aug 20, 5:42 AM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 642 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL KEEP OCCASIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... 545 AM UPDATE...UPPED POPS A BIT AS SHRA/TSRA HAVE CONGEALED SOMEWHAT. WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO GENERATE LIFT AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. ISSUED FFW FOR TUSCARAWAS/CARROLL DUE TO EARLIER 2-3 INCH RAINS PLUS APPROACHING STORMS. STILL MAY GET A BRIEF BREAK DURING THE LATE MORNING BEFORE INSTABILITY STORMS DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SURFACE LOW SPINNING OVER MICHIGAN CURRENTLY...PUSHING A WARM FRONT NORTHWARD ACROSS PBZ CWA. FRONT HAS AIDED REDEVELOPMENT OF TSRA BEHIND INITIAL COMPLEX WHICH HAS WEAKENED. HEAVY RAINFALL TOTALS IN A FEW SPOTS IN OHIO...ON THE ORDER OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. HANGING ON TO LIKELY POPS DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THIS BOUNDARY WILL BE THE FOCUS OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AIDED BY A MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE THIS MORNING...WHICH WILL ROTATE THROUGH BY AFTERNOON. A RELATIVE LULL IN PRECIPITATION MAY BE SEEN DURING THE LATE MORNING. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE WILL COMBINE WITH THE BOUNDARY TO TRIGGER ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...WITH LIKELY POPS AREAWIDE. PWAT VALUES OF 1.5 TO 1.8 INCHES WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HEAVY RAINFALL. TOUGH TO PINPOINT AREAS THAT HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING WATER PROBLEMS. WILL HIGHLIGHT THREAT IN HWO BUT HOLD OFF ON ANY WATCHES AT THIS TIME. NOT EXPECTING MUCH OF A SEVERE THREAT GIVEN THE UNIMPRESSIVE SHEAR PROFILE. TRIED TO KEEP HIGH TEMPS ON THE LOWER SIDE OF GUIDANCE. ACTIVITY DECREASES SOMEWHAT THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING AND DEPARTURE OF BETTER UPPER SUPPORT. WE MAY BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IN A SHORT DRY PERIOD DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS BEFORE ACTIVITY RAMPS UP AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER 12Z. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... A RELATIVELY STATIONARY BOUNDARY STRETCHING SOUTH FROM A WEAK SFC LOW WILL REMAIN IN THE AREA THURS THROUGH FRI WITH SEVERAL DISTURBANCES PROGGED TO TRAVERSE ALONG IT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD QUICKLY DEVELOP THURS AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER DESTABILIZES AROUND MIDDAY. WHILE THE BEST INSTABILITY AND SHEAR APPEAR TO STAY SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY THURS...OVER SRN OH...WHERE SPC HAS INCLUDED A SEE TEXT PORTION OF THE DAY TWO OUTLOOK. MEANWHILE...THE 00Z NAM SHOWS AROUND 1500J/KG SFC CAPE AND 30-40KTS 0-6KM BULK SHEAR IN OUR AREA. THE CORE OF THE H5 JET REMAINS OVER SWRN OH. COULD EXPECT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THURS AFTERNOON/EVENING. EXPECTING TO SEE A DIURNAL LULL LATER THURS INTO EARLY FRI...BUT WITH ENOUGH MOISTURE PRESENT ALONG THE BOUNDARY...SHOWER CHANCES WILL EXIST...MAINLY INTO ERN OH. FRIDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD OVER THE MS VALLEY...A SFC LOW LIFTS THE BOUNDARY NORTH AS A WARM FRONT SERVING AS A FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A WAVE AT H7 WILL MOVE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AGAIN FRI...BUT TIMING DIFFERENCES EXIST AMONG THE MODEL GUIDANCE. AT THIS POINT WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY HIGH CHC POPS FOCUSED ON THE EARLY EVENING TIMING OF THE 00Z NAM/ECMWF. PWAT VALUES MAX OUT AROUND 2" FRIDAY THROUGH ERN OH AND NRN WV ALONG THE CORRIDOR WHERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. STORM MOTIONS FROM THE 00Z NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS ARE IN THE 20-30KT RANGE...BUT SHOWERS SHOULD BE HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND ANY TRAINING COULD LEAD TO WATER PROBLEMS THROUGH FRI NIGHT. TAX && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... WITH ACTIVE WEATHER IN THE NEAR TERM...GENERALLY STAYED CLOSE TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST BLENDING WITH WPC THINKING FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A RIDGE BUILDING IN THE SRN PLAINS THROUGH THE WEEKEND...SLOWLY SHIFTING THE AXIS INTO OUR REGION BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE WEEKEND WILL REMAIN WARM AND MUGGY WITH DAILY RAIN CHANCES AS WE SIT ON THE ERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. A GRADUAL EASTWARD SHIFT IN THE UPPER TROF AXIS WOULD MEAN A CONTINUATION OF AT LEAST NEAR NORMAL TEMPS THROUGH MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH A DRYING TREND. TAX && .AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONGEALED INTO A RAGGED MCS THIS MORNING. MAIN LINE OF THUNDER IS HEADING THROUGH EASTERN OHIO CURRENTLY...AND HAVE TRIED TO TIME TEMPO IFR VSBYS THROUGH HLG/PIT/AGC/BVI OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THINK THE LINE WEAKENS BEFORE IT IMPACTS TERMINALS TO THE EAST. A RELATIVE LULL WILL BE SEEN LATER THIS MORNING...WITH MOST LOCATIONS POSSIBLY ACHIEVING VFR. INSTABILITY SHRA/TSRA ARE THEN EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON ASSUMING WE GET A BIT OF SUN. MAINTAINING VCTS FOR NOW AS AM STILL UNCERTAIN ON TIMING AND AREAS OF HIGHEST PROBABILITY. ACTIVITY SHOULD START TO WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET. THINK CLOUDS BREAKUP SOMEWHAT AS WE WILL LIKELY BE IN BETWEEN DISTURBANCES. HAVE MVFR FOG MENTIONED AT MOST SITES OVERNIGHT...AND THIS MAY BE OPTIMISTIC AT A FEW. OUTLOOK.../WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... SEVERAL CROSSING DISTURBANCES WILL CAUSE PERIODIC RESTRICTIONS INTO THE WEEKEND. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 356 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-210800- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON- JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO- FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY- ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES- FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION- MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- 356 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND INTO THIS EVENING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR. IF ANY LOCATION GETS HIT BY REPEATED THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED FLOODING PROBLEMS MAY DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING ISSUES WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY...AS A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL PRODUCE MORE PRECIPITATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
651 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 AM FLASH FLOOD MINERAL CITY 40.60N 81.36W
08/20/2014 TUSCARAWAS OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
STATE ROUTE 800 OUTSIDE OF TOWN IS FLOODED
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1401820
CLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
654 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 AM FLASH FLOOD BOLIVAR 40.65N 81.45W
08/20/2014 TUSCARAWAS OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TOWPATH ROAD FLOODED BY RAILROAD TRESTLE
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1401821
CLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
656 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 AM FLASH FLOOD 2 SE BOLIVAR 40.63N 81.43W
08/20/2014 TUSCARAWAS OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
STATE ROUTE 212 IN LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP IS FLOODED
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1401822
CLThe Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:59 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported flash flooding in Wheeling with water over 4 foot deep flowing across U.S. 40 closing the road. Water was in the lower floors of some buildings.
The public reported a number of locations flooded on Route 2 near Beech Bottom.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, August 2014
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: 533793, 533794.