Flood in Harrison County, West Virginia

The West Fork River near Clarksburg rose above a flood stage of 14 feet the night of May 27. After cresting around 15.3 feet the next morning, the river receded below flood stage again late morning on the 28th. At 15 feet, homes on low sections of Liberty Avenue and Route 19 flood.

A mainly stationary front sprawled across southeast Ohio and West Virginia on the 26th and 27th of May, then a cold front arrived and sank down through the middle Ohio Valley and central Appalachians. This second front exited to the south by mid day on the 28th. Precipitation spread north across the area on the 26th, then additional rounds of rain and storms continued to traverse the area through the 27th.

Soils were already saturated from previous rainfall, then an additional one to three inches of rain fell over the area. One strip of three to four inches fell over portions of Gilmer, Lewis, and Barbour counties. This excessive rainfall prompted minor flooding on portions of the Little Kanawha and West Fork Rivers as well as flooded roads in Barbour, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Lewis, Mason, Roane, and Randolph Counties. Mud and rock slides also occurred in Harrison and Wirt Counties. Strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon of the 27th produced wind damage that download trees and power lines in Boone, Harrison, Mason, Jackson, Lewis, Roane, and Upshur Counties.