A mid level disturbance helped trigger 1 cluster of storms during the predawn hours of the 18th. Those storms moved east, through north central West Virginia.
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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.
A mid level disturbance helped trigger 1 cluster of storms during the predawn hours of the 18th. Those storms moved east, through north central West Virginia. Other storms affected the Interstate 64 corridor later that evening. Two small separate areas in Putnam County had the heaviest rain, causing localized flash floods.
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 18, 1:49 AM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 249 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 .SYNOPSIS... HOT AND HUMID FOR THE WEEKEND. SOME AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. COLD FRONT IN VICINITY EARLY IN WORK WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... NAM DOES NOT HAVE THE COMPLEX MOVING THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING...SO NOT SURE THAT THE MOISTURE FIELDS ARE REPRESENTATIVE AT LATER TIMES. THEREFORE WILL RELY MORE ON THE HRRR AND THE GFS WHICH HANDLE THE COMPLEX A BIT BETTER...THOUGH NOT PERFECTLY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...BUT DRY AIR PUNCHING IN FROM THE WEST WILL LIMIT ACTIVITY TO THE MOUNTAINS BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THIS DRY AIR WILL ALSO CAP THE AREA DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. WITH THE MOIST GROUND...MET MOS LOOKS WAY TO HIGH FOR TODAYS HIGHS. WILL STAY CLOSER TO THE GFS MOS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A VERY SIMILAR DAY AS TODAY IS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY WITH JUST AN ISOLATED SHOT A SHOWER OR STORM AND MAINLY OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN. BY SUNDAY EVENING...A S/W TROF AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MAKE A RUN INTO THE AREA WITH A LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE ON THE STRONG SIDE OVER SE OH. HAVE SOME LIKELY POPS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT UNTIL THE TROF CAN PASS AND THE FRONT SLIP S. WHILE THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASSES SAFELY THRU...THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WHICH WILL RETURN N INTO THE AREA LATE MONDAY AND BECOME NEARLY QUASI STATIONARY. THIS COMBINED WITH GOOD INSTABILITY AND SOME PERTURBATIONS IN THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW...MEANS A RENEWED FLASH FLOOD THREAT MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THINK BEST SHOT OF REACHING HEAT ADV CRITERIA ON SUNDAY WOULD GENERALLY BE ALONG AND S OF I64. OTHERWISE...UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW 70S MEANS HEAT INDICES IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON MONDAY...BUT THIS IS STILL UP IN THE AIR A BIT...AND WILL RELY SOMEWHAT ON TIMING OF FRONT. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL EVENTUALLY STALL OUT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA BRIEFLY...BEFORE SAGGING SOUTH LATER IN THE DAY ON TUESDAY. HOWEVER...ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA MID TO LATE WEEK. THUS...HEADING INTO YET ANOTHER WET PERIOD...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTINUED WATER PROBLEMS. HIGHLIGHTED IN THE HWO. && .AVIATION /07Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THE REMAINS OF A COMPLEX WILL MOVE THROUGH EASTERN KY...SOUTHERN WV...AND SOUTHWESTERN VA EARLY THIS MORNING. SOME HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS COULD BRIEFLY CAUSE SOME IFR OR MVFR CONDITIONS...BUT VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. A CUMULUS DECK WILL THEN FORM ON SATURDAY...STARTING A BIT LOWER THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE HIGH HUMIDITY. SOME SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS. THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS DRY AIR WILL PUSH IN FROM THE WEST. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: HIGH. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS...DUE TO THE SCATTERED AND LIMITED NATURE OF ANY IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVY RAIN THIS MORNING...THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BKW TAF...JUST LIGHTER PRECIPITATION. AFTER 06Z SUNDAY... IFR IN MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/STORMS SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY NEAR FRONT. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RPY/30 NEAR TERM...RPY SHORT TERM...30 LONG TERM...SL AVIATION...RPY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 VAZ003-004-WVZ033-034-190715- DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-MCDOWELL-WYOMING- 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. REPETITIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY ONWARD. ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FLASH FLOOD HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WVZ007>011-016>020-029-190715- MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE- DODDRIDGE-GILMER- 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. REPETITIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY ONWARD. ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FLASH FLOOD HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WVZ027-028-030>032-035>040-046-047-190715- CLAY-BRAXTON-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER- UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH- 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. REPETITIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY ONWARD. ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FLASH FLOOD HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. KYZ102-103-105-WVZ005-006-013>015-024>026-190715- CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-WAYNE-CABELL-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-MINGO- LOGAN-BOONE- 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE COMBINATION OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...AND HIGH HUMIDITY MAY RESULT IN HEAT INDICES IN THE LOWER 100S ON SUNDAY. A HEAT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED. REPETITIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY ONWARD. ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FLASH FLOOD HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. KYZ101-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-190715- GREENUP-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS- GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH- 313 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. REPETITIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY ONWARD. ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FLASH FLOOD HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
509 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015
WVZ040-047-181000-
BARBOUR-RANDOLPH-
509 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015
...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE WATER PROBLEMS...
AT 505 AM EDT...A SERIES OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OVER
NORTHWESTERN RANDOLPH AND SOUTHEASTERN BARBOUR COUNTIES EARLY THIS
MORNING. THIS WILL BRING STREAMS TO BANKFULL...WITH SOME WATER
PROBLEMS EXPECTED IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...CULVERTS...AND LOW
LYING AREAS. MOTORIST SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR
WATER OVER ROADWAYS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ELKINS...BELINGTON...JUNIOR...WOMELSDORF (COALTON)...ELLAMORE AND
KERENS.
LAT...LON 3890 8010 3893 8010 3895 8008 3896 8006
3897 8006 3898 8005 3901 8005 3905 7988
3900 7973 3890 7972
TIME...MOT...LOC 0905Z 180DEG 0KT 3895 7993
25The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:35 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Small streams overflowed onto roads. One example, was Town Run flooding Willow Street in Weston. Nearby, Stonewall Jackson Lake measured 1.44 inches of rain.
Harmons Creek flooded and damaged roads. Water got inside a few buildings. One local couple's vehicle stalled in the rising water. Neighbors pulled their vehicle to safety using an ATV.
Trace Fork flooded and closed roads. Since the heavy rain was more localized, the gauge further down Hurricane Creek did not rise as high as the previous event. Water levels near the gauge rose less than 7 feet and crested below 12 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, July 2015
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: 579912, 579913, 579914.