Tornado and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 23 to 24, 2016

Multiple rounds of convection resulted in wind damage and flooding. Flash flooding on small streams turned into river flooding. A historic and record setting flood occurred along portions of the Elk and Gauley Rivers in central West Virginia. Less significant flooding occurred on the perimeter of the hardest hit area.

The initial convective complex developed during the evening hours of the 22nd near Chicago. The complex reached southeast Ohio just after 0000E on the 23d, while a surface warm front was returning northeast into West Virginia. A few renegade storms even formed ahead of the complex along the warm front.

The first round of convection entered West Virginia around 0100E on the 23rd. It crossed West Virginia during the predawn hours with downpours and gusty winds. Within this initial round of convection, a brief tornado was confirmed in Jackson County. Also, a microburst was surveyed just south of Birch River in Nicholas County.

The first complex exited the eastern counties of the state a few hours after dawn. Yet, the undisturbed southwest low level flow, of moisture rich air, allowed new convection to form in its wake. These new showers and storms formed in the mid Ohio Valley from southern Ohio eastward toward the Huntington and Charleston vicinity. These thunderstorms moved back east, across central West Virginia during the late morning and midday time frame. In the muggy air, additional storms formed during the afternoon and early evening hours. The rains finally diminished after 1900E on the 23rd. The total duration of these multiple rounds of convective showers and storms encompassed no more than 18 hours.

A 2 to 4 inch rain maximum occurred with the initial convective complex. This initial rain maximum ran from near Parkersburg on up the Little Kanawha River Valley to near Glenville and through Upshur Counties. Other heavier bands were in Lewis and Harrison Counties. For example, by 0900E, Pullman in Ritchie County and Spurgeon in Gilmer County both measured 3.76 inches. Harrisville in Ritchie County measured 3.48 inches of rain. Willow Island on the Ohio River measure 3.38 inches. French Creek had 3.4 inches of rain. The cooperative observer at Clarksburg measured 3.30 inches, Stonewall Jackson Lake in Lewis County had 3.05 inches and Rock Cave measured 2.8 inches of rain. In terms of rain rates, the Clarksburg airport in Bridgeport had .5 inches of rain in just 8 minutes, with 1.36 inches of rain in about 40 minutes. Minor flash flooding occurred with this initial convective band during the predawn and dawn time frame. Less rains fell further south. For example, Big Chimney in Kanawha County had 1.76 inches by 0900E.

The new convection that formed during the morning of the 23rd, saw its heavier rain fall south of the initial band. The rain axis went from Jackson County on southeast into Clay and Nicholas Counties. By 1200E, Poe North in Nicholas County had 4.52 inches of rain, Laurel Ridge in Clay county had a 3.72 inches total, and Muddlety in Nicholas County measured a 3.31 inch rain total.

After the third and fourth rounds of convection during the afternoon and evening, a 4 to 7.5 inch rainfall maximum occurred in less than 18 hours. The axis of this maximum rain went from Jackson County on southeast through Roane, northern Kanawha, Clay, Nicholas, Webster, into southern Pocahontas. The rain maximum continued into central Greenbrier County, which is handled by the Blacksburg office of the National Weather Service. This elongated heavy rain axis was oriented on a compass heading from around 305 degrees to 125 degrees. The width of the heavy rain area went from around 30 miles near the Ohio River to about 50 miles in the central mountain counties. A key ingredient to this disaster was the fact that less than 2 days earlier, 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain had fallen over parts of Clay, Webster, and Nicholas Counties. As a result, a higher percentage of the rain on the 23rd went directly into runoff than usual.

Here are the maximum measured storm rain totals. Laurel Ridge in Clay County measured 7.21 inches of rain. A volunteer observer in Runa of Nichalas County had 7.2 inches. Along the county line with Clay and Kanawha Counties, Queen Shoals measured 7.12 inches of rain. Birch River had 5.81 inches, Summersville 5.65 inches, Craigsville 5.63 inches, Richwood 5.53 inches, Sutton 5.47 inches, Hacker Valley 5.06 inches, Sissonville 4.02 inches, Snowshoe 3.97 inches, and Spencer 3.74 inches. An automatic gauge west of Summersville Lake near Keslers Cross Lanes measured 6.16 inches. At one point during the afternoon, this gauge measured 1.1 inches of rain in just 15 minutes. A gauge near the headwaters of Beach Fork in western Nicholas County measured 5.5 inches of rain. An unofficial rain gauge at a coal company near Werth of Nicholas County measured a 6.6 inch rain total. | |Severe flash flooding occurred on the creeks and streams during the later rounds of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. This was quickly followed by river flooding on the Greenbrier, Elk, and Gauley Rivers. This included the smaller tributaries such as the Williams River and the Meadow River in the Gauley River basin, plus the Birch River in the Elk River basin. Fatalities occurred in Kanawha and Jackson Counties. Thankfully, no fatalities occurred in Roane, Clay, Webster, Nicholas, Fayette, and Pocahontas Counties.

Record stages were set on the upper Gauley River. Dyer on the Williams River rose 17 feet in the vertical on the 23rd and crested at 20.78 feet around 1915E. The previous record level at Dyer was 18.45 feet back on July 4th in 1932. The flooding in Richwood was as much from the runoff off the steep mountainsides flowing rapidly down through the streets, as it was from the overflowing Cherry River. Laurel Creek, a tributary of the Cherry River, near Fenwick crested at 12.34 feet around 2000E. On the main stem of the Gauley River, Craigsville crested at 29.04 feet after rising 17 feet in the vertical on the 23rd. At one point between 1400 and 1500E the river rose 3 feet in 1 hour. The crest time was 2200E on the 23rd at Craigsville. The previous record was 25.94 feet back in November of 2003. The crest at Camden on Gauley was above the level of the instrument shelf table in the river stage well house. Of course, this caused the instruments to fail. Before failure, the river was rising nearly 3 feet per hour. In the wake of the flood, the well defined high water mark was used to calculated the crest. After a vertical rise of around 24 feet, the crest at Camden on Gauley was 29.75 feet near 2145E on the 23rd. The previous record was 27.38 feet, back on July 4th in 1932. In the town of Camden on Gauley, the high water mark was 7 feet high on buildings. While holding the discharge down, the Corps of Engineers saw Summersville Lake rise 41 feet in the vertical during this flood.

Below Summersville Dam a huge discharge was noted from the Meadow River into the lower Gauley River. The surge of water coming from western Greenbrier County caused the lower Meadow River at Nallen to rise 19.5 feet in the vertical and crest at 24.50 feet at 2015E on the 23rd. The previous record crest at Nallen was 16.94 feet back in December of 1969. Further down the Gauley River, despite Summersville Dam holding back much of the outflow from the upper Gauley basin, the gauge at Belva still rose 22 feet in the vertical in less than 18 hours. Belva crested at 27.04 feet around 2045E on the 23rd. This crest was the 2nd highest on record. The 5th of July crest in 1932, well prior to the dam, was 28.6 feet at Belva. One resident near Belva said of the river flood, It just kind of looked like the ocean, and it just swarmed in. And it just didn’t go back.

In the upper Elk River basin, the gauge below Webster Springs at Clifton Ford crested at 17.36 feet around 2045E on the 23rd. This was not a record crest, but the highest since the start of the 20th century. Herold on the Birch River, after rising 15 feet in the vertical, crested at 18.03 feet around 2045E on the 23rd. The previous record was 13.7 feet in December 2013.

On the lower Elk River, below the Corps of Engineers flood control dam at Sutton, the water level at Clay rose 26 feet in the vertical during the 23rd, at a rate as high as 3 feet per hour. The crest was at 30.3 feet around 2145E on the 23rd. This was the 3rd highest crest on record for Clay, and the highest since 1918. Further down the river at Queen Shoals, just above Clendenin, the water level rose 27 feet in the vertical, at a rate as high as 2.5 feet per hour. The crest was 33.37 feet around 0445E on the 24th. This was the highest on record for Queen Shoals. The previous record was 32 feet back in 1888. The high water mark was 5 feet high on buildings in downtown Clendenin. A similar high water mark was noted across the Elk River in the large grocery store.

In comparison to the Elk and Gauley drainage, the river flooding on the Greenbrier River in Pocahontas County was minor. The headwaters of the Greenbrier River were north of the heavy rain axis. The crest in Marlinton was 12 feet during the late evening of the 23rd, with flood stage at 10 feet. Further down the river, the level at Buckeye crested just below the 12 foot flood stage.

The flash floods and river floods caused fatalities in Kanawha and Jackson Counties. Thankfully, no fatalities occurred in Roane, Clay, Webster, Nicholas, Fayette, or Pocahontas Counties. Severe damage and destruction of homes, businesses, and schools occurred. Roads were damaged. In the worst cases, sections of road bed were washed away. Public bridges and small private bridges were damaged or destroyed. Large debris piles collected against bridges. Countless vehicles were flooded. Electricity and water were lost for days in the hardest hit flood areas.

The American Red Cross had over 800 workers helping at its peak. They distributed over 7,500 cleanup kits and over 100,000 meals and snacks. Many church based organizations and ordinary individual citizens volunteered their time and services to help in the flood recovery. Nationally known celebrities and sport figures, with ties to West Virginia, also helped to raise awareness and increase donations for flood recovery.

The state transportation secretary estimated 8 million dollars in damage to roads in Clay County, 8 million dollars in Nicholas, over 13 million in Kanawha County.

Several schools were severely damaged by flood waters. This included in Clay County, White Elementary and the county bus garage. In Kanawha County, Herbert Hoover High School, Clendenin Elementary, Elk Valley Christian School, plus Bridge Elementary Schools were severely damaged. Water from the Elk River crested about 7 feet deep in the first flood at Herbert Hoover High School. In Nicholas County. Richwood High and Middle School was severely damaged. Moderate flood damage occurred to Clay High School and Elkview Middle School. Minor flood damage occurred at Middle Birch Elementary School in Braxton County. Minor flood damage also was seen in Ansted Elementary in Fayette County and Glade Elementary in Webster County.

A state of emergency was declared by Governor Tomblin. At its peak deployment, around 650 members of the West Virginia Army National Guard and West Virginia Air National Guard were activated. Major tasks assigned to the guard troops included delivering supplies to residents with no road access, and removal of flood debris. Private contractors were also used for debris removal. In just Kanawha County, 15,000 tons of flood debris were collected.

A federal disaster was quickly declared by President Obama. At least 8 counties were eligible from the events of June 23rd and 24th within the forecast area of the National Weather Service in Charleston. They included Jackson, Roane, Kanawha, Clay, Webster, Nicholas, Fayette, and Pocahontas Counties. See FEMA disaster number 4273-DR for more information. Over 4900 individuals applied for federal assistance from those 8 counties, totaling over 20 million dollars. Public assistance for debris removal, emergency protective services, roads, bridges, and schools, was over 50 million dollar in those same 8 counties.