Flood — Webster, West Virginia

2022-07-27 · near Gauley Mills, Webster, West Virginia

Event narrative

The Meadow River in the township of Nallen rose above its 15 foot bankfull level on the morning of July 27th. The river crested at 17.37 feet before returning to its banks later that afternoon. While above its banks, the river spilled onto Chestnut Grove Road and flooded the nearby lumber yard.

Wider weather episode

A deluge of showers and thunderstorms continuously rocked West Virginia during the final week of July as a stationary frontal boundary remained draped over the state for a prolonged period of time. Waves of energy flowing along the front contributed to these bursts of heavy rainfall, which gradually tarnished soil conditions. Up to 5 inches of rain fell in spots south of the Interstate 64 corridor between July 26th and 27th.

Flash flooding during this time resulted in local creeks and streams rising out of their banks and spilling onto roads, primarily in Mingo, Fayette, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties. The Scarbro community in Fayette County was evacuated during the early morning hours of the 27th due to the abundance of high water impacting the township.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.1061, -80.8797)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1040190. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.