Flood in West Virginia
Every flood event the National Weather Service has filed in West Virginia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
The most significant on the map
The most significant 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
- 1,845
- Deaths
- 28
- Injuries
- 1
- Damage
- $399 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- 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.
- Flooding in West Virginia, November 19 to 20, 2003Rains of 2 to 4.2 inches fell from 2200E on the 18th through 1600E on the 19th. A strong inflow of moist air from the southeast, helped enhance these rains.
- Tornadoes and Flooding in West Virginia, April 2 to 7, 2024A strong area of low pressure tracking through the Ohio Valley caused multiple rounds of thunderstorms across the state of West Virginia on April 2nd and 3rd.
- Flooding in West Virginia, February 15 to 17, 2003Rains from Friday afternoon, the 14th, into Sunday the 16th were on the order of 3.5 to 4.9 inches, with the maximum over Wayne and Lincoln Counties. Small streams flooded onto roads Saturday evening, the 15th, into early Sunday, the 16th.
- Flooding in West Virginia, March 13 to 14, 2010After a cold and snowy February, a switch to a warmer pattern began during the second week of the month. This started the runoff from a deep snow pack over the West Virginia mountainous counties.
- 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.
- Flood in West Virginia, March 2 to 7, 1997
- Flood and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 25, 2005After a hot and humid afternoon, strong to severe thunderstorms moved southeast, out of Ohio, and through much of West Virginia. Damaging wind gusts were common with the storms and the associated outflow boundary.
- 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.
- Flooding in West Virginia, January 12 to 13, 2018Strong moisture advection ahead of a southern stream low pressure system brought a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rainfall across the middle Ohio River Valley and Central Appalachians.
- 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.
- Flooding in West Virginia, September 17 to 21, 2004As the weakening Hurricane Ivan moved inland across Alabama, light rain began in southern West Virginia on the morning of the 16th. The rain shield moved into northern counties overnight. Heavy rain began before dawn on the 17th around Huntington.
- 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.
- Flood in West Virginia, September 17 to 20, 2004At 230 PM EDT on 17th, Boggs Run flooded Benwood. By 9 PM on 18th, around Moundsville, 5 roads remained closed because of mud slides; and flooding from Grave Creek was keeping 1 road closed. 79 structures damaged or destroyed, including $1 million damage to a school.
- 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 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.
- Flooding and Heavy Rain in West Virginia, May 4 to 5, 2009A front was stretched out east to west near the southern border of West Virginia. A strong mid level disturbance lifted northeast and enhanced the rain after 0100E on Monday the 4th before lifting out around noon.
- Flooding in West Virginia, February 16 to 19, 2023A stationary front located near West Virginia on the morning of February 16th acted as a link between two low pressure systems streaming north and south of the area.
- Flooding and Heavy Snow in West Virginia, March 4 to 7, 2015A warm front lifted north through West Virginia on the 3rd with a half inch to an inch of rain over the central mountain counties. Less rain fell elsewhere. Late afternoon and evening temperatures rose into the 50s and lower 60s over the lowlands.
- Flood in West Virginia, March 2 to 3, 1997
- Blizzard and Flood in West Virginia, October 29 to 31, 2012The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region.
More
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.