Flash Flood in West Virginia
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in West Virginia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flash flood episodes in West Virginia.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 2,321
- Deaths
- 57
- Injuries
- 11
- Damage
- $638 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 23, 2016One of the worst flash floods in the history of West Virginia occurred on June 23, 2016 as extreme rainfall occurred across portions of Greenbrier and several adjacent counties.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in West Virginia, June 14, 2025On the evening of June 14th, a slow moving thunderstorm passed over portions of Ohio County just east of the city of Wheeling. It's slow movement and interaction with another storm allowed for very heavy rainfall in a short period of time.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 23 to 24, 2016Multiple 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.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, February 15 to 19, 2025Light precipitation started to arrive on the evening of February 14th due to an approaching low pressure system, with more substantial rain spreading across the area overnight into the 15th as a warm front approached from the south.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, February 18 to 21, 2000A warm front surged north during the morning of Friday the 18th, dropping a half inch to an inch of rain. Meanwhile, low pressure extended from southern Ohio on down the entire length of the Ohio River during that afternoon.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, June 27 to 30, 1998Three consecutive nights of thunderstorms left western and northern counties with wind damage and flooding. The first night was from Friday evening, the 26th, into early Saturday morning, the 27th.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in West Virginia, May 2 to 4, 2002Repetitive showers and thunderstorms moved rapidly across the southern coal fields, from the late morning hours to the early evening, on a Thursday, the 2nd of May.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in West Virginia, May 18 to 19, 2001A rotating supercell developed in southeast Ohio, then moved across Mason and Jackson counties. The large hail damaged houses and vehicles. In its wake, a larger complex of thunderstorms moved through.
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 1, 1997One hour rains of 1.5 to 2 inches, with totals of 2 to 3 inches in less than 3 hours, flooded small streams in the eastern and northeastern part of the county. One gauge along Drift Run reported 2.9 inches of rain. Ripley had a 24 hour rainfall total of 3.3 inches.
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, May 16 to 17, 1996
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 8, 2001This episode, on the 8th of July, saw fast moving thunderstorms form along a north/south warm frontal boundary. This boundary marked the division between the dry and less humid air to the east, from the incoming steamy moist air, to the west.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, March 2 to 3, 2012A deepening low pressure system was lifting northeast out of central Illinois around midday on Friday, the 2nd. It reached southern Michigan by evening. By late afternoon its associated warm front had pulled north into central Ohio and into central West Virginia near Charleston.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, May 30 to 31, 2004The flash flooding in Mingo, Logan, and Wyoming Counties became part of the federal disaster area. Additional flooding, but on a more localized scale, would occur in the disaster area in early June. Around 500 National Guard troops were used in the flood cleanup and recovery.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, November 12 to 13, 2003Rains of 2.5 to 4.75 inches fell from 2200E on the 11th through 1900E on the 12th. Repetitive showers formed, as dew points of 60 to 65 degrees fed the system from Kentucky.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, April 11 to 16, 2024Showers and thunderstorms developed on the afternoon of April 11th due to the combination of unseasonably warm temperatures and a passing disturbance. Storms crossed in from the Ohio River Valley during the early afternoon and continued an eastward progression into the evening.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, May 6 to 10, 2022A slow moving low pressure system, along with plenty of moisture, allowed for showers and thunderstorms to gradually move through the Ohio Valley during the day on May 6th.
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, May 15 to 16, 1996Training showers and thunderstorms moved southeast acrosssouthern West Virginia overnight, along a warm frontalboundary. A rainfall of 2.5 to 3.5 inches was common inin 6 hours.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 10, 2003A potent squall line developed during the early afternoon across central Ohio, on southwest to central Kentucky. This was along a prefrontal surface boundary, and well out ahead of a strong cold front.
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 29, 2001The last onslaught of heavy July rain fell in waves during Saturday, the 28th, and Sunday, the 29th. The heaviest rain on the 28th was generally from the Charleston vicinity on east, into Nicholas County. Heavier rain fell again on the 29th.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, April 3 to 4, 2015A warm front lifted through during the morning of the 2nd. Only a few showers and storms were associated with the warm front. Rounds of showers and thunderstorms formed in the lower Ohio River Valley and moved quickly into western West Virginia during the evening of the 2nd.
- Flash Flood and Hail in West Virginia, August 17 to 18, 1997Several different lines or clusters of thunderstorms moved across the region during this Sunday afternoon. Most damage was isolated and relatively minor. The exception was in and around the mid Ohio Valley town of Parkersburg, on east, along the Route 50 corridor.
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, September 6, 1996
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 14, 2016Convection formed in the heat of the day, with highs around 90 degrees and dew points around 70. There was also an east-to-west boundary in the vicinity, likely from convective activity the previous night or earlier in the day.
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, June 23, 1996Major small stream flooding occurred after a second roundof thunderstorms, within 18 hours, dumped about 2 inches ofrain in an hour. A 24 year old woman drowned when her carwashed into Lower Creek, north of Milton. The woman got out of the car, but she was swept away.
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, May 22, 2001Rains of 1 to 2 inches were widespread. The most significant flooding on this date, in terms of damage, was in southern Kanawha County. The Kanawha River crested, the second time this month, around 22.5 feet at Charleston, on the 23rd.
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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.