West Virginia, 2024

Flash Flooding in West Virginia, September 26, 2024

September 26, 2024 · NWS RNK · 2 events in 1 county or zone

An upper level low was situated in the vicinity of western Tennessee, while a strong upper ridge was positioned over the southeast coast, which helped to steer Hurricane Helene into the Florida Big Bend during the evening of September 26. Ahead of Helene, the Predecessor Rainfall Event (PRE) that developed on the 25th continued to intensify as upper level areas of low pressure rotating around…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$125,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.

An upper level low was situated in the vicinity of western Tennessee, while a strong upper ridge was positioned over the southeast coast, which helped to steer Hurricane Helene into the Florida Big Bend during the evening of September 26. Ahead of Helene, the Predecessor Rainfall Event (PRE) that developed on the 25th continued to intensify as upper level areas of low pressure rotating around the upper low continued drawing deep tropical moisture from the Carolina coastal region, which supported nearly continual waves of showers and storms over southeast West Virginia through the day. Through the 26th, rivers and creeks began to rise as four to eight inches of rain fell through the day mainly along and west of the Interstate 77 corridor.

What forecasters said that day

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 26, 3:23 AM EST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 26, 3:23 AM EST, 5 hours 37 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 26, 3:32 AM EST, 5 hours 28 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
432 AM EDT Thu Sep 26 2024

NCZ003-VAZ007-009>014-016>020-022>024-032>035-WVZ042-044-270845-
Surry-Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Carroll-
Floyd-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-Botetourt-Rockbridge-Patrick-
Franklin-Bedford-Amherst-Mercer-Monroe-
432 AM EDT Thu Sep 26 2024

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina,
central Virginia, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west
central Virginia and southeast West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ004-005-020-VAZ043-270845-
Stokes-Rockingham-Yadkin-Henry-
432 AM EDT Thu Sep 26 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina,
northwest North Carolina and south central Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Heavy rain associated with Hurricane Helene could result in isolated
flooding Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ006-VAZ044>047-058-059-WVZ043-507-508-270845-
Caswell-Pittsylvania-Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-Halifax-
Charlotte-Summers-Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier-
432 AM EDT Thu Sep 26 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina,
central Virginia, south central Virginia and southeast West
Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Heavy rain associated with Hurricane Helene could result in areas of
flooding Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ001-002-018-019-VAZ015-270845-
Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Wilkes-Grayson-
432 AM EDT Thu Sep 26 2024

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina and
southwest Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

Wind gusts at higher elevations could reach 35 to 45 mph on tonight

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

Wind gusts at higher elevations could reach 35 to 45 mph Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed.

RCS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 26, 3:37 AM EST, 5 hours 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 26, 5:35 AM EST, 3 hours 25 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 26, 5:38 AM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 26, 7:16 AM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 26, 8:07 AM EST, 53 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 26, 8:36 AM EST, 24 minutes before
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The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Mercer

When
September 26, 9:00 AM EST to 12:30 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, 0.53 mi W of Princeton to 0.54 mi W of Princeton
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
37.369, -81.110

The Mercer County 911 Center reports that Sparkles Road was washed out forming a deep trench and exposing a gas line. No injuries were reported, but an elderly resident need assistance to leave his home in the direct area due to the flooding. The damage estimate is the estimated cost of repairing the road.

Flash Flood, Mercer

When
September 26, 9:15 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
Where
Mercer County, 0.68 mi ESE of Sandlick to 0.45 mi ENE of Littlesburg
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
37.326, -81.209

The Mercer County 911 Center reported that a home was flooded along the 7000 block of New Hope Road, with both lanes of the road also flooded. The water, likely from a tributary of Brush Creek rising out of its banks, was reported to be more than 6 inches deep across the road. No damage was reported to the road. The damage estimate is flood damage to the home. A little over 5 inches of rain had fallen across the local area in the 24 hours ending 11 am EDT.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, September 2024

Sources

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: 1219035, 1219033.