Flash Flood — Jackson, West Virginia

2011-04-16 · near Given, Jackson, West Virginia

Event narrative

Streams overflowed onto the usual low spots. Shortly after 0900E, a 79 year old man was heading back home after a church pancake breakfast. He was traveling down Copper Fork Road near Sandyville which is also Route 33/8. Water from Copper Fork had come out of the banks in an area considered a low water crossing. The man still tried to drive across the dip in the road. The water was moving swiftly and his car was pulled into the creek. Before emergency workers reached the scene, neighbors had successfully pulled him halfway out of the car with a rope. At that time, the vehicle was pushed further down the stream. The car became lodged under a bridge and the neighbors lost sight of the driver. Swift water rescuers could not save him. He drowned.

Wider weather episode

Showers and thunderstorms moved north during the overnight hours, ahead of an approaching cold front. Just prior to the frontal passage, training of showers affected southern Wayne County on north through parts of Lincoln, Putnam and Jackson Counties from 0600E to 0900E on Saturday the 16th. Rain amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches occurred there in 3 to 4 hours. This enhanced the rain totals to around 2 inches in that narrow band.

Minor flash flooding occurred under the repetitive showers during the morning. Though, one elderly man drove into high water in Jackson County and drowned. No homes were damaged.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.7300, -81.7486)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 288564. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.