Amid unseasonably hot temperatures for the middle of May, isolated thunderstorms formed around southwest Virginia on the afternoon of the 18th. These storms produced damaging wind gusts as they quickly collapsed after their initiation, which resulted in a tree to knock down onto a trailer in the town of Vansant.
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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.
Amid unseasonably hot temperatures for the middle of May, isolated thunderstorms formed around southwest Virginia on the afternoon of the 18th. These storms produced damaging wind gusts as they quickly collapsed after their initiation, which resulted in a tree to knock down onto a trailer in the town of Vansant. The loss of daytime heating at sunset brought the threat for additional thunderstorm damage to an end on this particular 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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 18, 7:30 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
830 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Aviation Forecast Discussion update.
216 PM update...
Marginal risk for severe for Tuesday has been expanded slightly
to the east. Frontal timing for Wednesday has slowed a little,
slightly increasing potential for stronger storms.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1.) Unseasonably hot conditions will continue through Tuesday,
with afternoon temperatures peaking in the upper 80s to lower
90s across the lower elevations.
2.) Isolated pulse thunderstorms are possible this afternoon
and evening, primarily over the Northeast Mountains. With high
downdraft CAPE, collapsing precipitation cores could produce
some localized gusty winds. Similar conditions possible tomorrow
near the Ohio River in the afternoon with additional thunder
chances with a decaying convective complex arriving overnight.
3.) A cold front brings widespread showers and thunderstorms
Wednesday. The front stalls to the south and returns as a warm
front, setting up a wet, unsettled pattern into the long weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...
A persistent Bermuda high remains anchored off the Carolina
coast promoted subsidence and unseasonably hot conditions
across the region. Surface observations at this hour show
temperatures already in the mid 80s to 90 degrees across the
Metro Valley and southeast Ohio. Afternoon highs will peak in
the low to mid 90s today and again on Tuesday, running 10 to 15
degrees above normal daytime highs for this time of year.
KEY MESSAGE 2...
Visible satellite imagery and surface observations early this
afternoon show isolated thunderstorms developing over the
higher terrain with an elevated heat source above any weak
capping. Analysis of vertical profiles reveal deep layer shear
is exceedingly weak, generally under 15KTs. This kinematic
profile strongly favors disorganized, pulse-type multicellular
convection. While the overall severe threat is low, DCAPE values
nearing 1000J/kg combined with steep low-level lapse rates will
support a threat for locally gusty downburst winds as
precipitation cores collapse. Some isolated tree damage is
possible beneath any more robust core collapses.
Tuesday will feature another hot afternoon with isolated pop-up
showers or thunderstorms possible across the middle Ohio Valley.
By Tuesday night, a decaying convective complex is forecast to
approach from the west ahead of an advancing cold front although
confidence in exact eastern extent is low. Instability will be
weakening as any remnants approach the Ohio River, but a
marginal threat for gusty winds could persist.
KEY MESSAGE 3...
A cold front will sweep through the region on Wednesday,
providing much needed relief from the heat but bringing
showers and thunderstorms. There remains some uncertainty
regarding the exact timing of the frontal passage with some
guidance showing a slowing trend. A slower frontal passage would
allows for greater diurnal destabilization ahead of it; MLCAPE
could recover sufficiently to introduce a low-end severe threat,
currently none is depicted with the day 3 SPC outlook.
Following a brief mainly dry period on Thursday, the frontal
boundary will drift back to the north as a warm front, locking
the region into an unsettled pattern through at least Sunday.
Severe potential appears low through the weekend due to fairly
weak flow through the column, but persistent southwesterly flow
will continue to transport deep moisture from the Gulf into the
region. Given recent very dry ground conditions any rainfall
will be largely beneficial. Couldn't rule out some very
localized water issues with repetitive slow moving heavy
downpours should they hit the same location multiple times as
we head into the weekend, but the risk appears low.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Widespread VFR conditions will largely prevail through this TAF
period (until 00Z Wednesday). Scattered mid/upper level clouds
are expected tonight amid dry conditions. Some very patchy river
valley fog cannot entirely be ruled out across eastern/southern
WV, potentially affecting EKN, although confidence in this
occurring is quite low. Mainly dry conditions then continue
during the day on Tuesday, with just the potential for a few
ISOLD afternoon/evening showers or storms across the Mid-Ohio
Valley. A FEW/SCT (035-050) Cu field is expected to develop late
Tuesday morning into the afternoon.
Calm or very light southerly flow is expected tonight, with
southwest flow during the day on Tuesday. Breezes of 15-25 kts
are expected at times from late morning onward, especially
central/north.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY...
FORECAST CONFIDENCE: High.
ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Brief MVFR or worse restrictions could
occur at EKN later tonight if fog development is more than expected.
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 TUE 05/19/26
UTC 1HRLY 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
EDT 1HRLY 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H
AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY...
Patchy IFR is possible in convection Wednesday through the weekend.
&&
.Climate...
Unseasonably warm conditions continue through Tuesday with some
daily record highs potentially being challenged.
Forecast / Record High Temperatures
---------------------------------------
Mon, 5/18 | Tue, 5/19 |
---------------------------------------
CRW | 92 / 92 (1982) | 92 / 95 (1931) |
HTS | 92 / 92 (1962) | 91 / 92 (1996) |
CKB | 91 / 92 (1962) | 90 / 90 (1959) |
PKB | 91 / 95 (1962) | 91 / 90 (1964) |
BKW | 86 / 87 (1996) | 87 / 89 (1996) |
EKN | 87 / 89 (1911) | 87 / 93 (1996) |
---------------------------------------
&&
.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...None.
OH...None.
KY...None.
VA...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...JP
AVIATION...GW
CLIMATE...JPThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:30 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree fell onto a trailer along Dry Fork Road in Vansant.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, May 2026
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: 1332205.