An upper level disturbance and stationary front at the surface provided a focus for rounds of showers and storms on May 24th. Locally heavy rain fell across portions of West Virginia, which had already been saturated by rounds of rain the previous day.
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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.
An upper level disturbance and stationary front at the surface provided a focus for rounds of showers and storms on May 24th. Locally heavy rain fell across portions of West Virginia, which had already been saturated by rounds of rain the previous day. Pockets of rain totaling between one and a half to three inches accrued across portions of Kanawha and Logan Counties and resulted in flash flooding on a few roadways early in the morning. Flooding came to an end as rain exited to the east by mid morning. A few hours later, convection began to develop in the vicinity of a front across northern West Virginia and led to additional flooding in Taylor County during the evening of the 24th.
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 May 24, 2:13 AM EST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 313 AM EDT Fri May 24 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Quasi-stationary front lifts north of the area today. Shortwave grazes our area from the south late today/early Saturday. Another round of showers/t-storms likely Sunday. Remaining unsettled Monday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 311 AM Friday... Low clouds and areas of showers and isolated thunderstorms will exit east of the Appalachians, as a mid-level shortwave exits early this morning. A weak mid level ridge develops to our west, while at the surface, a quasi-stationary frontal boundary remains oriented west to east across northern WV. This mid level feature brings dry air aloft today, as noticed in local soundings. However, a hot, humid and unstable airmass remains at the surface under a high CAPE; low deep layered shear environment. Skinny tall soundings will allow for few showers or pulse storms to develop and produce localized heavy downpours during the afternoon and evening hours. Convection will be more likely along the frontal boundary to our north, and should diminish in intensity and coverage by sunset. Therefore, expect dry weather for most of the morning and early afternoon hours, keeping low chance PoPs during the afternoon as the potential for convection exists across the entire area. Severe thunderstorms are not expected at this time. SPC kept the area under general thunderstorms. However, WPC kept a marginal area for excessive rainfall across southern WV and southwest VA through tonight. A lull in precipitation will be possible from sunset until the next batch of convection ahead of an approaching cold front late tonight into early Saturday morning. Plenty of sunshine can be expected for the most part today, allowing above normal high temperatures to reach the mid 80s across the lowlands, ranging into the upper 60s higher elevations. Above normal Lows tonight will range from the lower 60s lowlands, ranging into the mid 50s higher elevations. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 1214 PM Thursday... The unsettled weather pattern will continue into the holiday weekend with continued chances for showers and thunderstorms. A mid-level shortwave trough will be exiting southern portions of WV and southwest VA Saturday morning, and this can create showers and isolated t-storms over these areas through about midday. Any thunderstorms Saturday morning will likely be non-severe. A period of dry weather is anticipated Saturday afternoon, but a few isolated pop-up storms cannot be ruled out. Again, severe weather is not anticipated Saturday due to a lack of 0-6 km shear (only expected to be 15-25 kts). Any downpours that repeatedly move over the same areas may lead to localized flooding. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 1214 PM Thursday... The severe weather potential may be a bit higher on Sunday, but models are still not in very good agreement with the overall setup. It appears that a mid-level shortwave will propagate along a slow- moving frontal boundary across central West Virginia and southeast Ohio by Sunday afternoon, creating afternoon and evening thunderstorm chances. Models are in pretty good agreement that the best severe weather parameters will be west of our County Warning Area, across central and western Kentucky. Some models bring favorable severe weather parameters into portions of northeast Kentucky, southern Ohio and western West Virginia Sunday afternoon and evening. SPC currently has far western portions of our area in a 15% risk of severe weather for Day 4, which corresponds to a Slight Risk. Sunday's environment will be very saturated with models showing PWAT values anywhere from 1.5-1.8 inches across the region. Because of this, we are concerned about potential for flooding, especially given the saturated ground from our unsettled pattern. A large 500-mb trough with its associated surface low pressure and cold front will track eastward across the Great Lakes Monday. This will provide another push for showers and thunderstorms across the region. Again, given the recent unsettled pattern, we will remain on alert for potential flooding issues. Mid-level drier air will filter back into the region from the west behind the cold front late Monday afternoon. Given this information, downpours probably won't be as potent behind the cold front. Lingering showers will remain possible Tuesday with energy still spinning around the upper-level trough. It appears that we will finally see a respite from the wet and unsettled weather by the middle of next week with at least a couple of days of drier weather for most. && .AVIATION /07Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 146 AM Friday... Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms continue to develop along a quasi stationary frontal boundary oriented west to east across central CWA. This activity will affect CRW, HTS and BKW with MVFR/IFR conditions early during the TAF period, and then move northeast to affect CKB and EKN through 12Z. Low stratus may develop behind these showers to keep MVFR ceilings through the morning hours. After 12Z, expect low stratus to dissipate as drier airmass filters in aloft allowing for plenty of sunshine. However, the atmosphere will remain unsettled allowing convection to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. Brief MVFR/IFR conditions can be expected under heavier afternoon showers or storms. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium on stratus tonight. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Thunderstorms may miss any terminal directly by still be in the vicinity. 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. DATE FRI 05/24/24 UTC 1HRLY 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EDT 1HRLY 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H L M L M M H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H M M M M H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY M H H L L H M H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY L L L L L L M H H H M M PKB CONSISTENCY H H L M L H L M M H M M CKB CONSISTENCY L L L L L M H H M H M H AFTER 06Z SATURDAY... IFR possible at times in showers and storms through Monday. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && SYNOPSIS...ARJ/JLB NEAR TERM...ARJ SHORT TERM...JMC LONG TERM...JMC AVIATION...ARJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston WV 457 AM EDT Thu May 23 2024 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ086-087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>008-013>016-018-024>030- 033-034-039-040-515>526-240900- Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Gallia-Lawrence OH-Dickenson- Buchanan-Wayne-Cabell-Mason-Jackson WV-Lincoln-Putnam-Kanawha-Roane- Calhoun-Mingo-Logan-Boone-Clay-Braxton-Gilmer-Lewis-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- 457 AM EDT Thu May 23 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, portions of southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia and much of West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Thunderstorms this afternoon and evening could produce damaging winds and large hail. Localized flash flooding is possible this afternoon and tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Localized flash flooding is possible Friday afternoon and Friday night, and again Sunday and Monday. .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. OHZ066-067-075-076-083>085-WVZ009>011-017-019-020-031-032-240900- Perry-Morgan-Athens-Washington-Jackson OH-Vinton-Meigs-Wood- Pleasants-Tyler-Wirt-Ritchie-Doddridge-Harrison-Taylor- 457 AM EDT Thu May 23 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Ohio, and portions of central and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Localized flash flooding is possible this afternoon and tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Localized flash flooding is possible Sunday and Monday. .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
250 AM EDT Fri May 24 2024
WVZ008-014>016-240730-
Jackson WV-Roane WV-Kanawha WV-Putnam WV-
250 AM EDT Fri May 24 2024
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHERN PUTNAM...NORTHERN
KANAWHA...SOUTHWESTERN ROANE AND SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON COUNTIES
THROUGH 330 AM EDT...
At 249 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms over Sissonville, or 9 miles north of Charleston,
moving northeast at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Charleston, Nitro, Winfield, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar,
Sissonville, Clendenin, Poca, Cross Lanes, Pinch, Institute, Elkview,
Teays Valley, Bancroft, Kentuck, Liberty, and Walton.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 79 between mile markers 1 and 24.
Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 102 and 124.
Interstate 64 in West Virginia between mile markers 39 and 50.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
office in Charleston West Virginia.
&&
LAT...LON 3836 8163 3841 8199 3867 8175 3866 8140
3853 8125 3841 8137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0649Z 226DEG 19KT 3849 8164
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
08The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:23 UTC.
4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
High water reported in the 7100 block of Sissonville Drive in the Happy Hollow area and at the Pocatalico entrance.
High water reported in the 5000 block of Indian Creek Road in Pinch.
Flooding occurred along portions of Garrett Fork Road.
Road closed from flooding at the intersection of Route 50 and Gawthorp Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 2024
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: 1176919, 1176921, 1176926, 1176928.