Flood in Lincoln County, West Virginia

The Mud River near Griffithsville exceeded its bankfull level of 12 feet on the morning of April 3rd, then reached a crest around 13.2 feet that afternoon. The river fell back into its banks that night, but rose back above bankfull the following morning. After a second, slightly lower crest, the river returned to, and remained within, its banks the evening of the 4th. During the times the river was out of its banks, fields and low areas along the river flooded.

A line of showers and thunderstorms followed a warm front across the Middle Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians during the morning of April 3rd. A cold front brought more precipitation into the area the night of the 3rd and then stalled over West Virginia through the morning of the 4th. Showers continued in the vicinity of the boundary which slid to the south on the afternoon of the 4th before being lifted north as a warm front again on the 5th. Another cold front arrived the evening of the 5th and once again stalled over West Virginia. Precipitation eventually tapered off as the front sank to the southeast on the 7th.

While two to four inches of rain fell across much of West Virginia, the southwestern portions of the state received four to six inches. Roads began to flood as creeks, streams, and small rivers rose out of their banks. Water rescues also occurred in Boone, Jackson, and Kanawha Counties. Portions of Middle Island Creek, Twelvepole Creek, and the Mud River experienced flooding.