Heavy Rain — Putnam, West Virginia

2013-06-06 · near Scary, Putnam, West Virginia

Event narrative

Shortly after a local downpour, 38 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction accident on the east bound lanes of the Interstate 64 Nitro Bridge over the Kanawha River. Witnesses said there was standing water on the bridge. There were about 7 or 8 vehicles in the middle of the pile-up that were not damaged. Luckily, there were no fatalities. However, 9 people were taken to the hospital, 2 in serious condition. The interstate was shut down until around 2100E.

Wider weather episode

In an environment loaded with moisture, short lines and clusters of thunderstorms formed during the late afternoon.

One heavier cell passed across the Interstate 64 bridge over the Kanawha River near Nitro around 1630E.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.4454, -81.8431)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 444675. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.