A slow moving low pressure system and surface cold front traveling through West Virginia resulted in several rounds of heavy rainfall. One to two inches of rain fell across the state on the 15th in areas already saturated by previous rainfall from days prior.
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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 slow moving low pressure system and surface cold front traveling through West Virginia resulted in several rounds of heavy rainfall. One to two inches of rain fell across the state on the 15th in areas already saturated by previous rainfall from days prior. High water was observed in Clay County as well as Boone County, where additional reports of water flowing into houses were noted by the local fire department.
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 Aug 15, 1:42 PM EST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 242 PM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A slow moving disturbance exits this evening. Mainly dry Sunday. Cold front approaches Sunday night. Drier for the early work week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 225 PM Saturday... Favorable jet dynamics responsible for an area of persistent moderate rainfall across northern West Virginia and southeastern Ohio are shifting off to the northeast at this hour. Overall, expect light rain to continue in this area with minimal additional flooding concerns. Concurrently, another area of forced ascent is moving up the TN valley producing an area of showers and thunderstorms across central and southern West Virginia. Rainfall rates in the more intense cores here are generally 1 to 1.5 inches per hour. Elected not to reissue a low value short-fused flash flood watch to cover these, but may need a couple flash flood warnings across portions of Clay, Sutton, and Upshur county over the next couple hours as storm motions have been slow to accelerate and a few spots are approaching flash flood guidance. Forcing for ascent largely wanes after 8 PM this evening with any lingering showers becoming increasingly confined the higher terrain. With accumulating rainfall over much of the region today will see a mix of low stratus and pockets of fog overnight. A bulk of the day Sunday will be dry in subsidence behind a departing trough with a broken line of showers and thunderstorms associated with a cold front approaching our southeast Ohio Counties by Sunday evening. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 241 PM Saturday... The aforementioned cold front and broken line of showers and thunderstorms will move across the region Sunday night, but precipitation activity should quickly fizzle out as instability wanes and upper support weakens. Otherwise, surface high pressure across the Upper Midwest will begin to build into the area early next week. This should keep most of the area dry on Monday, but weak disturbances embedded in upper troughing aloft may support a few isolated showers and storms in the afternoon and evening, but overall coverage should be rather limited as soundings indicate that profiles will be fairly dry. However, SPC does have a Marginal risk in place across the northern half of the area on Monday, so a few storms capable of gusty winds can't be ruled out. Additional showers and storms could occur on Tuesday as upper troughing persists across the region, but this activity should be mainly confined to southern portions of the CWA where the better quality moisture and instability is expected to be. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 241 PM Saturday... Persistent upper ridge remains in place across the Intermountain West and this should help maintain broad troughing across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley through the middle of the week. Occasional periods of showers and storms will aldo be possible as impulses embedded in the WNW flow aloft move through the area. Heights aloft are expected to gradually rise by the end of the week and into next weekend as an upper level trough digs into the Gulf of Mexico and a upper ridge builds across off the coast of the southeast US. This should result in a gradual warming trend by the end of the period as temperatures return to above normal values. In addition, as the flow becomes more southwesterly, this may result in better precipitation chances by Friday and Saturday. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 225 PM Saturday... Scattered to numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms gradually fade from west to east through the remainder of the afternoon. MVFR conditions are expected through the evening with isolated pocked of IFR visibility in any heavier showers. Overnight, will likely see a combination of IFR stratus along with pockets of fog developing, especially across terminals that saw significant rainfall today. Subsidence Sunday will keep precipitation chances low, but may also keep stratus hanging around into the late morning hours. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Visibility in fog may be worse than the current forecast if any cloud breaks develop. 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 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 EDT 1HRLY 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 CRW CONSISTENCY M M M M M H H L L H H H HTS CONSISTENCY M M H H H H H H M H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H M H H H M H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY L H H H M M M M M H H M CKB CONSISTENCY L H H M H M H H H H H H AFTER 18Z SUNDAY... Areas of IFR fog possible Monday and Tuesday mornings. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && SYNOPSIS...JP/RG NEAR TERM...JP SHORT TERM...RG LONG TERM...RG AVIATION...JP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston WV 231 PM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020 OHZ076-VAZ003-004-WVZ008>011-015>020-024>034-039-040-515>526-161845- Washington-Dickenson-Buchanan-Jackson WV-Wood-Pleasants-Tyler- Kanawha-Roane-Wirt-Calhoun-Ritchie-Doddridge-Mingo-Logan-Boone-Clay- Braxton-Gilmer-Lewis-Harrison-Taylor-McDowell-Wyoming-Upshur-Barbour- Northwest Raleigh-Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette- Southeast Fayette-Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas- Northwest Webster-Southeast Webster-Northwest Pocahontas- Southeast Pocahontas-Northwest Randolph-Southeast Randolph- 231 PM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia, and portions of central West Virginia, northeast West Virginia, northern West Virginia, southeast West Virginia and southern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Periods of moderate to heavy rain will be possible through the remainder of the afternoon. Some isolated instances of flooding remain possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions by calling the toll-free spotter hotline, or by other methods detailed at www.weather.gov/rlx/reports. KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-083>087-WVZ005>007-013-014-161845- Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Perry-Morgan-Athens-Jackson OH- Vinton-Meigs-Gallia-Lawrence OH-Wayne-Cabell-Mason-Lincoln-Putnam- 231 PM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, portions of southeast Ohio, and portions of southern West Virginia and western 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... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions by calling the toll-free spotter hotline, or by other methods detailed at www.weather.gov/rlx/reports.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
937 AM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020
OHZ075-085-WVZ008-009-017-019-151430-
Athens-Meigs-Jackson-Wirt-Ritchie-Wood-
937 AM EDT Sat Aug 15 2020
...AN AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN MEIGS...
SOUTHEASTERN ATHENS...SOUTHWESTERN RITCHIE...NORTHERN WIRT...NORTH
CENTRAL JACKSON AND WOOD COUNTIES...
At 934 AM EDT, An area of moderate to heavy rainfall over
Mineralwells, or near Parkersburg, is remaining nearly stationary.
Locations impacted include...
Parkersburg, Harrisville, Pomeroy, Elizabeth, Coolville, Forked Run
State Park, Mineralwells, North Bend State Park, Tuppers Plains,
Lubeck, Chester, Cairo, Smithville, Reedsville, Darwin, Davisville,
Macfarlan, Belleville, Nutter Farm and Walker.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 158 and 174.
Route 50 in West Virginia between mile markers 13 and 35.
A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect. Heavy downpours could cause
rapid rises in water. If rising water is observed, move to higher
ground. Do not drive into areas covered by water.
In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to travel across
flooded roads. Find alternate routes. It takes only a few inches of
swiftly flowing water to carry vehicles away.
LAT...LON 3928 8109 3906 8099 3902 8200 3903 8202
3902 8205 3919 8205 3922 8173 3922 8169
TIME...MOT...LOC 1334Z 240DEG 49KT 3920 8154
22The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:44 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
In the town of Dille, high water was observed on Route 11.
Significant flooding was observed on Toneys Branch Road near the town of Bloomingrose. Parts of the road were completely washed out, closing the road for several hours. High water also flowed into several homes that reside close to Toneys Branch Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, August 2020
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: 904926, 904927.