Flash Flood — Doddridge, West Virginia

2022-08-10 · near Canton, Doddridge, West Virginia

Event narrative

The Doddridge County Senior Center in West Union observed substantial damage to its foundation due to the inundation of rain. The wall inside of the building was caved in from downed trees and water rushed down the hill into the basement. Neighborhoods within West Union also suffered basement and roof damage. Minor road damage was observed within the town due to blocked culverts and small landslides.

Wider weather episode

A stalled cold front residing over the Central Appalachians was the main driver behind flash flooding that occurred between August 10th and 11th. The combination of slow moving and repetitive storms led to heavy downpours through the course of the day, before finally winding down that evening as the front began moving out of the area. 24 hour rainfall amounts reported by local observers and weather stations ranged from 1.5 to 3 inches in most places, with locally higher amounts on the upwards of 5 inches observed across north-central West Virginia.

Numerous roads across the northern half of the state became flooded, primarily during the afternoon when storms were at their strongest. This resulted in a few water rescues as vehicles became submerged by the inundating rainfall. Several homes in Ritchie County became surrounded by water for a period of time as well. The most significant damage transpired in Doddridge County, where the building of the local senior center was shoved five feet off of its foundation due to the deluge of water.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.3696, -80.7593)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1050927. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.